By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
A complete-game four-hitter from Daniel Bebee and RBI from Emile Boies, Mikey Felton and Ed Scotthelped the Fort Hays State baseball team defeat Newman Tuesday afternoon (April 11) at Larks Park, 4-2. Both pitchers controlled the tempo of the game, with the teams combining for just nine hits in the one hour, 59 minute contest
The Tigers (17-24, 7-17 MIAA) never trailed, taking an early 2-0 lead on an Emile Boies two-run home run in the bottom of the first. Bebee took care of business on the mound, retiring the first seven batters he faced.
The FHSU defense handled its business as well, turning several hard-hit ground balls into routine plays on the infield while the outfield made several catches on the run while battling the wind.
Bebee faced the minimum in each of the first four innings, giving up one walk that was promptly erased with a double play. The Jets (19-21, 11-13 MIAA) collected their first hit in the fifth before scoring one run on a walk, base hit and sacrifice bunt in the sixth.
The Tigers had a chance to add on more runs in the third, with the first two batters hitting safely, but the Jets got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts. Colby Wilson, Newman’s starter, retired 11 consecutive batters over the heart of the contest to give the Jets a chance to strike back, but Bebee was effective enough to hold off the surge.
After Bebee escaped a man-on-third, one-out jam in the top of the seventh with consecutive shallow fly balls, the Tigers pushed across two huge insurance runs against the Newman bullpen.
Zach Davis worked a pinch-hit walk to lead off the inning before Mikey Felton tripled into the right-field corner two batters later, giving the Tigers a 3-1 lead. Ed Scott then pushed the advantage to 4-1 with a two-out single to center.
Another double play got the Tigers out of the eighth inning before Newman managed to bring the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth. A one-out home run was followed by a double off third base, but Bebee finished things off with back-to-back fly balls to end the game.
Bebee (4-2) needed 119 pitches to turn in his third complete game of the season, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out three batters. Boies drove in two runs while Scott was the only Tiger with multiple hits on the day, going 2-for-4 with one RBI.
The Tigers will hit the road again this weekend (April 14-16) to take on Missouri Western in a three-game slate in St. Joseph, Mo. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.