By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State baseball team came up one run short in Sunday’s series finale against Rogers State, falling 8-7 (March 12). The Tigers (9-14, 2-7 MIAA) trailed by four runs entering the seventh inning and scored three runs to close within one, but the back end of the Hillcat (15-6, 4-5 MIAA) bullpen did just enough to seal the win.
Tiger starter Cade Flaherty worked around a walk in the first inning before retiring the side in order in the second, striking out three batters over the first two frames. Rogers State put two men on early in the third after a walk and hit-by-pitch before scoring three runs on two hits and a sacrifice fly.
After collecting just one hit over the first two innings, the Tigers answered back in the bottom of the inning thanks to back-to-back walks to Tico Olivas and Ed Scott. The pair pulled off a double steal before DeGarmo drove in the first FHSU run with a sacrifice fly. Isaiah Ural followed with a single through the right side, helping the Tigers close within 3-2.
Another leadoff walk and four more hits helped the Hillcats score two more runs in the fourth and end Flaherty’s day. Jenner Kehe came on to get out of the inning, inducing a double play before getting out of the inning three batters later.
Fort Hays State responded with two runs of its own in the home half when Scott delivered a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle.
The Tigers walked the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings, but were able to escape each inning unscathed. Justin Nace struck out three in the fifth before a baserunning blunder ended in a 2-6-2-5-4 caught stealing double play to wrap up the top of the sixth. FHSU had chances to tie or take the lead in both frames, but left a pair on in the fifth and left the bases loaded in the sixth.
Rogers State added to its lead in the seventh when the nine-hole hitter clubbed a three-run home run soaring over the fence in left, giving the visitors an 8-4 advantage.
As it had all day, the home team answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Two infield throwing errors got the inning going before Olivas delivered a two-out, two-run single into center. The speedy left fielder tried to score from first on a double off the bat of Scott in the next at bat, but was called out at the plate by the umpire to end the inning with the Tigers down 8-6.
Spencer Maley came on to toss two hitless innings down the stretch, walking just one batter while striking out a pair.
DeGarmo led off the eighth with a single through the left side before Ural laid down a perfectly-placed bunt single down the third-base line. The pair moved up on a sacrifice bunt and then advanced another 90 feet on a wild pitch, with DeGarmo scampering home to help the Tigers close within 8-7. With the tying run 90 feet away, the Hillcat bullpen struck out two batters to escape the inning with the lead. RSU struck out two more in the bottom of the ninth, including the final out with the tying run on first base.
Flaherty (1-2) took the loss after hurling 3.0 innings and giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters. Scott totaled three hits and drove in two runs from the top spot in the order, while Olivas was 1-for-3 with two RBI and two walks from the ninth spot in the lineup.
The Tigers will wrap up their homestand Tuesday (March 14) when they host Newman in a midweek conference battle beginning at 3 p.m. at Larks Park.
Saturday
The Fort Hays State baseball team jumped in front by five runs through the first five innings before falling to Rogers State Saturday afternoon (March 11), 15-10.
Tiger starter Zach Berg threw one bad pitch his first time through the order, giving up a solo home run in the top of the first before retiring six batters in a row. The Tigers quickly took control with a two-RBI single from Elliott Herrmann in the home half of the inning.
Fort Hays State doubled its lead to 3-1 when Isaiah Uralclubbed a no-doubt home run with one out in the third inning. Rogers State tacked on three runs in the fourth, including two unearned runs, to take a momentary 4-3 lead.
The Tigers grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a pair of Hillcat errors. Tico Olivas tied the game when he scored on the second error before Herrmann drove in two more with a single down the right-field line.
Berg settled back in after the fourth, retiring the side in order in the fifth and sixth innings. Fort Hays State padded its lead with three more runs in the fifth. Zane Knox led off with a home run to right on a 3-2 pitch, his fifth long ball of the season. Later with two men on, Ed Scott crushed a ball to left that one-hopped into the fence to drive in a run on a stand-up double. Olivas later scored on a wild pitch, giving the Tigers a 9-4 lead.
Rogers State led off the seventh with a home run and a walk to bring and end to Berg’s day before the Hillcats scored a total of 11 runs on seven hits and one error in the inning. FHSU scored one run in the home half of the inning when Scott came in to score on a wild pitch, but the Tigers were unable to draw any closer over the final three innings.
Berg tossed six innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out two batters. Jake Campbell did not allow a run over the final 2.1 innings, giving up three hits and one walk while striking out one.
Herrmann drove in four runs on the day, bringing his season total to an MIAA-leading 35 RBI. Scott scored three times while Knox collected a team-high three hits.
Friday
The Fort Hays State baseball team opened its series against Rogers State with an 11-5 win Friday afternoon (March 10) at Larks Park. Daniel Bebee (2-0) picked the win after a complete game, the first nine-inning complete game for a Tiger since 2017 (Sam Capps vs NWOSU, 3/22/17).
Both teams had things rolling offensively out of the gates, with each side plating two runs in the first, one run in the second and two more in the third. RSU (13-6, 2-5 MIAA) manufactured its two runs in the top of the first following three singles and good baserunning before Trey DeGarmoopened the home half of the inning with a double to left. He moved up 90 feet on a groundout before coming in to score on a single deep in the hole at short off the bat of Elliott Herrmann. Emile Boies worked his MIAA-leading 19th walk to extend the inning before Zane Knox tied the game with a single to center.
RSU plated an unearned run in the top of the second before Ridge Stephens led off the bottom of the inning with a single to right. DeGarmo later tied the game at three with a single to right of his own.
The Hillcats regained the lead with two runs on three hits in the third before Bebee got out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. FHSU (9-12, 2-5 MIAA) put together a two-out rally to tie the game when Stephens extended the inning with a single. Tico Olivas followed with a double to left field, driving in Stephens. Ed Scott then added a sharp single to center to knot things up at five.
The Tigers picked up two outs on the base paths in the fourth, including a pickoff from both Stephens and Bebee, to put up the first scoreless inning of the game. The home team finally took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the inning with another two-out rally. Boies reached second base on an error by the Hillcat second baseman on what would have been the final out of a 1-2-3 inning. Knox made them pay with a stand-up double to center, putting the Tigers in front 6-5.
Bebee faced the minimum in the fifth, working around a single by inducing his second double play of the game. A leadoff double from Stephens and two walks loaded the bases for the Tigers, but RSU kept the game close by getting out of the inning unscathed.
Bebee allowed a single in the sixth before starting a stretch of nine-straight batters retired, including three more strikeouts. The Tiger bats backed up their pitcher in the sixth, pushing across five two-out runs on five hits and two walks. Standing at the plate with two men on and two out, Olivas doubled the lead with a single up the middle. Scott followed with a double to left center, driving in one run, before DeGarmo plated a pair with a single up the middle. Herrmann later pushed the lead to 11-5 with his second RBI single of the game.
Bebee finally allowed another hit in the ninth before finishing things out with two fly balls. The junior allowed 12 hits on the day and walked only one batter while striking out five Hillcats.
DeGarmo, Stephens and Olivas all had three hits in the game, with DeGarmo driving in three runs and scoring two more. Olivas scored a team-high three times. Scott, Herrmann, Knox and Olivas all drove in two RBI each.