By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped Sunday’s series finale at Rogers State, losing 11-4 (March 3). The Tigers (12-6, 2-4 MIAA) jumped out to a quick lead, but the Hillcats (13-4, 5-1 MIAA) answered right back in the bottom of the first before taking the lead for good in the second.
Brady Kreutzer led things off with a triple to the warning track in left field before coming in to score the first run of the game on an RBI groundout from Elliott Herrmann. The Hillcats responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on two hits and three free bases.
Fort Hays State tied things up in the next half inning when Zane Knox was hit by a pitch to lead things off. Singles from Justin Lipka and Sebastian Burgos loaded the bases before Cesar Saavedra drew a two-out walk to tie the score at two. The Hillcats again scored two runs in the bottom of the second, retaking the lead, 4-2.
Rogers State pushed the lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the third after scoring four runs on two singles and two free bases. Trailing by six, the Tigers left a pair on base in the fourth before plating a pair in the top of the fifth. Trey DeGarmo led off with a bunt single before Herrmann beat out an infield single to short. Jose Cintron followed by drawing a walk, loading the bases with no outs. Shaun Gomez plated a run two batters later with a single before Kyle Morrell lifted a sacrifice fly to left, helping FHSU close within 8-4.
The Tiger pitchers settled in after the third inning, recording four-straight scoreless innings before the Hillcats tacked on three more in the bottom of the eighth. The Tiger bats were unable to draw any closer, however, going down in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings before leaving a runner on in the ninth.
Burgos finished the day 2-for-4, while six other Tigers recorded one base hit on the day. Rafael Espinoza (2-1) got the start and went 2.0 innings, allowing four runs on four hits. Trevor Baugh struck out four batters in 5.0 innings of relief, surrendering two runs on four hits and one walk.
Fort Hays State will return home for to play five home games next week beginning Wednesday with a doubleheader against Upper Iowa beginning at 1 p.m.
Saturday
The Fort Hays State baseball team rallied to defeat Rogers State in extra innings Saturday (March 2), 9-4. In the process, the Tigers (12-5, 2-3 MIAA) handed the Hillcats (12-4, 4-1 MIAA) their first loss in conference play this season.
The Tigers jumped in front in the top of the first thanks to an unearned run. Brady Kreutzer worked a leadoff walk before Trey DeGarmo reached on an error. Kreutzer came in to score two batters later thanks to an RBI groundout from Elliott Herrmann.
Tiger starter Tanner Vaughn stranded a pair in the bottom of the first before the Tigers added another run in the second. Zane Knox led off with a double to left center before Justin Lipka dropped in an RBI double down the left-field line, putting the visitors up 2-0.
Vaughn faced the minimum in the second before again stranding a pair in the bottom of the third. Rogers State broke through in the fourth with a two-out rally. The Hillcats used a two-out double with two men on to close within 2-1, prompting the Tigers to go to the bullpen in Ty Riley. RSU then used a two-RBI single to take a 3-2 lead before a fourth run came in to score on a throwing error.
Riley retired the side in order in both the fifth and sixth innings before allowing a single in the seventh, leading to the Tigers making another pitching change in Spencer Maley. Maley got the job done, inducing an inning-ending double play to keep the score at 4-2.
The Tiger bats answered the call in the eighth, scoring two runs on two hits and three walks. DeGarmo led off with a walk before Kyle Morrell worked a walk. Back-to-back walks to Jose Cintron and Knox plated a run before Cesar Saavedra drove in the game-tying run with a double to left. RSU managed to get out of the inning without giving up the lead due to a baserunning blunder and a strikeout with two men in scoring position.
Maley retired the side in order in the eighth before the Tigers were unable to capitalize on a walk in the ninth. Maley then walked the first batter in the bottom of the ninth before FHSU went back to the bullpen in Dylan Rinker. Rinker struck out the first batter he faced before a second Hillcat reached base on a bunt single.
The next batter then delivered a single into left field right to Kreutzer. The baserunner at second was waved home, with Kreutzer’s perfect throw beating him to the plate by two steps. The baserunner proceeded to plow through the catcher, but Lipka held onto the ball while applying the tag to save the game. Rinker escaped the inning two batters later with a bases-loaded strikeout.
The Tiger bats kept the momentum going in the 10th, plating five runs on four hits and two walks. Walks to Herrmann and Knox and a single from Cintron loaded the bases for Saavedra, who came through with another RBI base hit when he drove in a pair on a single to right center. Kreutzer drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to right before DeGarmo plated two more with a double to deep left field. Rinker secured the win by working around a pair of singles in the 10th.
Rinker (2-1) picked up the win after tossing 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out two batters while allowing four hits. Maley did not allow a hit in his 1.2 innings of relief, striking out one and walking one. Riley struck out one and allowed one unearned run in 2.2 innings of work, while Vaughn struck out a pair and allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in 3.2 innings on the mound.
Saavedra drove in three RBI and scored one run, finishing the game 2-for-3 after coming in as a pinch hitter. DeGarmo drove in two runs, while DeGarmo and Lipka both had two hits and Knox scored two runs.
Friday
The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the series opener at Rogers State Friday afternoon (March 1), 11-1. The Tigers (11-5, 1-3 MIAA) collected six hits compared to 11 for the Hillcats (11-3, 4-0 MIAA), while both teams committed one error.
Rogers State struck first in the bottom of the second by scoring two runs with two outs, taking advantage of two singles and three walks. Tiger starter Cade Flaherty retired the side in order in the second before the Hillcats manufactured another run in the third, going up 3-0. Flaherty then faced the minimum over the next three innings, keeping FHSU within striking distance.
Fort Hays State had runners on base in all but two innings, but the Tigers were unable to get things going until the top of the sixth when Brady Kreutzer started a rally with a leadoff single to left center. Trey DeGarmofollowed with a perfect bunt down the third-base line, giving the Tigers multiple baserunners for the first time all day. The pair moved up on a wild pitch before Kyle Morrell drove in FHSU’s first run with a single to left.
The Hillcats responded with four runs in the seventh, including three unearned runs, before pushing across four more in the eighth.
DeGarmo collected two of FHSU’s six hits, with Kreutzer, Morrell, Zane Knox and Isaiah Ural also recording base knocks. Flaherty struck out three batters in 6.1 innings of work, while Brandon Chavez added one strikeout in 0.2 innings of relief.