By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team split the second double header of their series with Adams State on Saturday (Feb. 4). Day two held a similar pattern offensively for both teams as they combined for 42 runs across both contests. After a tough loss in game one, the Tigers used a massive rally to claim the second game and clinch a series split.
Game 1 – Adams State 9, Fort Hays State 7
The Tigers fell behind early in the opener before putting together a big rally in the top of the third. Trailing 3-0, Fort Hays State used patience at the plate and some small ball to plate six runs. The Tigers took advantage of four walks and one Grizzly error in the inning, ultimately sending 11 men to the plate.
The first run came in on a wild pitch before Mikey Feltonand Ridge Stephens worked bases-loaded walks to tie the score. Ed Scott gave the Tigers the lead with a two-RBI single to left center before another run came in on a booted ground ball by the ASU shortstop.
The lead would be short-lived, however, with Adams State responding with three runs in the home half of the inning.
The Tigers went back on top, 7-6, in the top of the fifth after Scott worked a one-out walk. The senior later came in to score on an RBI double into the right-center gap from Trey DeGarmo. Adams State managed to bounce back once again, going up 9-7 after plating a trio of runs in the bottom of the fifth.
FHSU had the tying run at the plate in the seventh after another base knock from Scott, but the Grizzlies secured the win after a bang-bang play at first base.
Scott finished the contest 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, while DeGarmo also added a pair of base hits.
Game 2 – Fort Hays State 19, Adams State 7
FHSU took an early 3-0 lead in the final game of the series with a pair of RBI doubles from Elliott Herrmann and Emile Boies followed by an RBI single up the middle from Colter Maldonado. Adams State scored a pair of runs in the home half on a bases loaded double play and a throwing error by the second baseman. The Grizzlies found the tying run in the third with their first hit of the game, a home run over the right-field fence.
Fort Hays State regained the lead in the next half-inning with another RBI double, this time from Zach Davis, before pushing across three more runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 7-3. A wild pitch brought in the first run before Isaiah Ural crushed the fourth RBI double of the contest, plating a pair
The Grizzlies mounted a rally in the home half of the seventh, scoring four runs to send the game into extra innings.
The eighth inning was all Tigers, with FHSU plating 12 runs on seven hits. Back-to-back home runs from Ural and Herrmann kicked off what would be an offensive explosion. Ural’s was a two-run shot, bringing home DeGarmo who led off with a walk. A Tico Olivas single and a walk to davis Davis brought Felton to the plate, who delivered with the third home run of the inning.
The sequence continued as the Tigers loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and a fielding error by the shortstop. After a Ural walk brought home Scott, Herrmann ripped another double down the left field line to clearing the bases. The final two runs would come on a triple down the right field line by Davis. Boies came in to pitch in the bottom of the inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced to seal the win.
Nate Pitts tossed five solid innings in his collegiate debut, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. Spencer Maley tossed a spotless inning of relief, striking out two of the four batters he faced.
Herrmann and Felton finished with three hits in the contest, while Ural and Herrmann each claimed five RBI.
The Tigers will continue their run through the RMAC next week as they travel to Las Vegas, N.M. to take on New Mexico Highlands February 10-11.
Friday
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team traded punches and split the season opening doubleheader with Adams State Friday (Feb. 3), with the teams combining to score 50 runs across 14 innings. After falling 14-11 in game one, Justin Wichert snagged his first win as FHSU head coach thanks to an Isiah Ural walk-off in game two.
The Tigers racked up four home runs on the day, including two from Emile Boies and one each from Elliott Herrmannand Ed Scott.
The Tigers and Grizzlies will wrap up their four-game series Saturday (Feb. 4) at Mountain Lion Park beginning at noon (11 a.m. MT).
Game 1 – Adams State 14, Fort Hays State 11
The Tigers struck first with multiple runs in the bottom of the second inning. In his first at-bat as a Tiger, Herrmann launched a shot over the left field wall on a full count to give Fort Hays the early one run advantage. Later with the bases loaded, Joel Nieves kept the rally going with an RBI-single through the left side to plate Boies. The Tigers finished the inning with a three-run lead after a Jenner Kehe sacrifice fly brought in Colter Maldonado.
Adams State came roaring back in top half of the third inning and claimed an 8-3 lead. FHSU spent the next four innings trying to cut into the deficit, eventually working all the way back into a tie game by the bottom of the sixth.
The Tiger offense scored single runs in the third and fourth innings before pushing across two runs in the fifth to close within 9-7. Adams State responded with two runs in the sixth before FHSU scraped together four runs in the home half of the inning to tie things up at 11.
Momentum shifted after the Tigers got two singles from Kehe and Trey DeGarmo to start off the sixth inning rally. Two batters later, Herrmann delivered a two-RBI single to bring the tying run to the plate. Boies lifted a ball out of the yard on the second pitch of his at-bat to tie things up.
Adams State bounced back in the seventh, creating three runs to back on top, 14-11, before retiring the side in order in the home half of the inning to secure the win.
Five FHSU hitters recorded multi-hit games in the opener, including DeGarmo, Herrmann, Boies and Maldonado with two hits each.
Andrew Hansen struck out four batters in 3.0 innings of relief, while Cade Flaherty struck out two of the three batters he faced.
Game 2 – Fort Hays State 13, Adams State 12
The teams continued the offensive explosion in game two, combining for 25 runs for the second game in a row. Each team was kept scoreless in the first inning before both were able to score one run in the second.
Both starting pitchers took control early, with the score sitting at 1-1 at the end of three innings. FHSU’s Connor Holle got out of a bases-loaded jam in the third to keep the score tied before ASU pushed across three runs in the top of the fourth.
Fort Hays State came alive in the bottom of the fourth, racking up nine runs to take a commanding 10-4 lead. Mikey Felton pushed across two runs with a single to center before Ed Scott drove him in with a double to right center. Ural drove in a pair of runs later in the inning before Boies crushed a 3-run home run to right center, pushing the Tiger lead to six.
Adams State would not go away, the Grizzlies rallied for five runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth to regain control and a 12-10 lead.
After going scoreless in the fifth and sixth, the Tiger offense was down to their last chance in the home half of the seventh. Maldonado started the inning with a one-out single before Felton did the same to put the tying run on base. Nieves followed with a perfectly-placed bunt, loading the bases with only one out. Scott then delivered another big hit, tying the score with a two-RBI single through the right side.
After an intentional walk and a strikeout, it was all up to sophomore transfer Ural. With darkness creeping in, the bases loaded and the Tigers down to their final out, Ural came up clutch with a walk-off single to center to complete the win.
Nate Whitehill (1-0) picked up the win after striking out four batters over 3.0 innings on the mound. Holle, a redshirt-freshman, also struck out four in 3.1 innings of work in his Tiger debut.