By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped its series finale against Washburn Sunday afternoon (Feb. 26) at Larks Park, losing 4-1. Zach Berg and Emile Boiescombined to toss five shutout innings of relief for the Tigers (7-8, 0-3 MIAA), but four early runs were enough for the Ichabod (9-7, 3-0) victory.
Tiger starter Nate Whitehill (1-1) walked three batters in the first inning, but limited the damage to one run after getting a strikeout and a lineout to second. The Tigers also loaded the bases in the first, but were unable to get a run across.
Whitehill then retired four Ichabods in a row, posting back-to-back clean frames. Washburn then broke through in the fourth, rattling off four hits to score two runs.
The damage could have been greater, but a pair of solid defensive plays kept the Ichabods to two runs. A pickoff from Whitehill nabbed one baserunner before a strong throw from Colter Maldonado to Emile Boies created the final out of the inning at third base.
Washburn went up 4-0 in the top of the fifth with a solo home run, ending the day for Whitehill, who tossed 4.0 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out two batters.
The Tigers had chances on offense in all but one inning, stranding 16 runners on base on the day, including three innings where they left the bases loaded. Fort Hays State scored one run in the sixth when Maldonado scampered home on a throwing error by the catcher.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the ninth on a Zane Knoxsingle and two walks, but a strikeout ended the game in the next at-bat.
Trey DeGarmo and Elliott Herrmann both singled twice, while Ed Scott reached base three times on a hit and two walks.
Next up for the Tigers is a midweek doubleheader against Wayne State (Neb.) on Wednesday (March 1) beginning at 1 p.m. at Larks Park.
Saturday
The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the first two games of the conference schedule Saturday (Feb. 25) against Washburn, losing 13-7 in extra innings in the opener and 9-2 in the nightcap.
Game 1 – Washburn 13, Fort Hays State 7 (10 inn.)
The Tigers jumped in front in the opener after a pitch came inside on leadoff hitter Ed Scott. An Isaiah Ural single and a walk to Emile Boies loaded the bases for Zane Knox, who crushed a 3-2 pitch sailing over the fence in right field for a grand slam.
After Connor Holle faced the minimum through two innings, Washburn got on the board with three runs on four hits in the third before taking the lead with two runs in the fourth. The Tigers had baserunners in each frame between the first and the ninth, but the Washburn pitching staff did well to work out of trouble and post seven-straight zeros on the board.
Trailing 7-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers opened a one-out rally when Elliott Herrmann worked a walk. Boies then reached on a botched grounder by the Ichabod first baseman, bringing Knox back to the plate as the game-tying run.
The third baseman delivered with a first-pitch home run over the wall in right, tying the score at seven and giving the junior seven RBI on the day.
After giving up the lead in the bottom of the ninth, Washburn responded with six runs in the 10th to take the game in extra innings.
Knox finished the game 4-for-5, while Scott was 3-for-4 at the dish. Luuk ter Beek struck out three batters over 5.0 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits.
Game 2 – Washburn 9, Fort Hays State 2
Game two starter Andrew Hansen worked out of a jam in the top of the first, leaving the bases loaded after recording his second strikeout of the inning to end the frame. Trey DeGarmo, Ural and Herrmann then rattled off back-to-back-to-back singles in the home half of the inning, giving the Tigers another early lead. FHSU doubled the lead in the second when Joel Nieves drove in Mikey Felton with an RBI groundout.
Hansen retired the side in order in the second before surrendering three runs in both the third and fourth innings, giving WU a 6-2 lead. After the Tigers collected three hits in the first inning, the Washburn pitchers limited FHSU to just two hits for the rest of the contest.
Hansen (0-2) struck out four batters across 4.0 innings of work, allowing six runs. Jacob Shope did not give up a hit and struck out two batters over 1.1 innings of relief.