By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Five unearned runs helped the Northwest Missouri State baseball team prevent a series sweep on Sunday (April 23), with the Bearcats escaping with a 14-9 win over Fort Hays State in the weekend finale. The Tigers (20-27, 10-20) outhit the Bearcats (11-32, 9-21) for the third day in a row, but five home runs and six Tiger errors helped NWMSU pick up the victory.
Tiger starter Cade Flaherty struck out three of the first six batters he faced, but a solo home run to lead off the top of the second gave the Bearcats a 1-0 lead. The Tigers bounced back in the home half, scoring two runs on an error, a walk and two base hits. Elliott Herrmann drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a throwing error before Mikey Felton gave the Tigers the lead with an RBI single through the left side.
Four walks helped the Bearcats tie the score in the third, but the Tiger bats once again responded immediately. Isaiah Ural led off with a line-drive home run over the fence in left, putting the Tigers up 3-2. Emile Boiesfollowed with a single before Herrmann smashed his fourth home run of the weekend over the wall in left.
Four hits and one Tiger error allowed Northwest to bat around in the fourth, giving the visitors a 7-5 lead after five runs crossed the plate. Fort Hays State strung together a trio of singles in the fifth, with Trey DeGarmo making it a one-run game on an RBI single that plated Boies.
Andrew Hansen came on in relief in the fourth inning and allowed just two hits to the first 10 batters he faced, striking out a pair. The Bearcats broke through once again the seventh, scoring four runs, three of which were unearned, on three hits and three errors.
Fort Hays State answered once again following the seventh inning stretch when Ed Scott led off with a solo home run to left field. Boies and Herrmann later clubbed back-to-back doubles before Zane Knox closed the gap to 11-9 with an RBI single through the right side.
The Bearcats kept rolling in the eighth, scoring three more runs, two of which were unearned, on two hits and two Tiger errors. Bearcat sophomore Max Pawela clubbed his third home run of the game in the eighth, giving the visitors a five-run advantage, 14-9.
The Tigers had their leadoff man on base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but were unable to manufacture any runs.
Flaherty struck out four batters in 3.1 innings of work, walking seven and surrendering five runs on three hits. Hansen allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and zero walks while striking out a pair in 2.2 innings of relief. Jenner Kehe came on to record the final four outs, walking one batter but not allowing any hits.
Herrmann finished the day 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI, while Boies was 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Ural, DeGarmo and Knox also had multi-hit days.
The Tigers will wrap up the regular season against fourth-ranked Central Missouri on the road in Warrensburg, Mo. next weekend (April 28-30). First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday
The Fort Hays State baseball team continued its offensive onslaught against Northwest Missouri State on Saturday (April 22), beating the Bearcats 18-8 in seven innings behind 23 hits. Through two games against the Bearcats (10-32, 8-21 MIAA), the Tigers (20-26, 10-19 MIAA) have combined to score 33 runs on 42 hits. All nine Tigers in the lineup had at least one hit, with eight of the nine recording multi-hit games.
The win gives the Tigers 20 wins in a season for the first time since 2016 and keeps the team in the mix for its first trip to an MIAA Tournament since 2013.
After starter Jake Campbell retired the side in four batters in the top of the first, the Tigers got to work in the home half. FHSU batted around in its first trip to the plate, sending 10 batters to the dish and scoring six runs in the first.
Ed Scott led off with a first-pitch triple off the wall in deep center before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Isaiah Ural. Elliott Herrmann clubbed a two-run home run two batters later before Zach Davis crushed a three-run shot to right later in the inning.
Campbell continued to deal in the early innings, retiring 10 of the first 13 batters he faced. The Tiger offense added a single run in the second before pushing across four runs in both the third and fourth innings. Ural scored on a double play in the second before driving in a run on a single in the third. Scott dropped in an RBI double in the third before Emile Boies drove a two-run home run to left, putting the Tigers in front 11-0.
The Bearcats scored their first three runs on a home run with two outs in the fourth, but the home team answered right back with four more runs in the bottom of the inning. Two Bearcat errors prolonged the inning, with Davis, Colter Maldonado and Ural all driving in runs.
Northwest added a solo shot in the fifth before scoring four runs off Campbell in the sixth, three of which were unearned. Andrew Hansen came out of the bullpen to get out of a jam, facing a bases-loaded, no-out situation. The reliever got two outs before allowing a pair of runs to come in on a double, but limited the damage to those two runs.
Hansen then retired the side in order in the seventh before the Tigers scored three more runs to reach the run-rule threshold. Herrmann led off with his second home run of the game, a solo shot to straightaway center. Trey DeGarmo followed with an opposite-field double before scoring on a single from Davis. Mikey Felton followed with the game-winning RBI, plating Davis with a single up the middle.
Campbell (4-0) worked five-plus innings, allowing eight runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks while striking out a pair. Hansen struck out two batters in 2.0 innings of relief, giving up just one hit and one walk.
Davis was 4-for-5 at the dish with five RBI and four runs scored, while DeGarmo was also 4-for-5 with three runs. Herrmann (2-for-5) and Ural (3-for-4) each drove in a trio of runs.