FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team fell to Northwest Missouri State on a blustery Saturday afternoon at Larks Park, 11-3. The Bearcats are now 17-19 overall and 9-13 in MIAA play with the win, while the Tigers move to 20-16 on the year and 8-14 in league action.
Both sides had baserunners in all nine innings, with Northwest managing to push runs across in five separate innings and the Tigers only doing so once.
Tiger starter Cade Flaherty allowed one run in the top of the first, but worked out of a jam to leave the bases loaded with his second strikeout of the game. The Bearcats added three runs in the second, but again left the bases loaded when Dylan Rinker came on to record the final out.
The Tigers recorded base hits in each of the first three innings before working walks in the fourth and fifth innings, but FHSU was unable to move a runner past second base against Bearcat starter Casey Stalzer. The righty finished the game with 13 strikeouts in 7 scoreless innings of work, including eight called third strikes.
Rinker posted three-consecutive scoreless innings in the third, fourth and fifth innings before a pair of walks came around to score in the top of the sixth. Rinker allowed one more run in the seventh before Landyn Sterling came on to record the final two outs of the inning via strikeout.
The Bearcats then scored four runs in the top of the eighth before the Tigers got on the board in the home half of the inning. Isaiah Ural led off with a single before Trey DeGarmo drove in FHSU's first run of the game with a double down the left-field line. Jose Cintron followed with a pinch-hit triple to right, driving in DeGarmo, before Cintron scored on a groundout from Kyle Morrell.
Andrew Hansen came on to work a scoreless ninth inning, but the Tigers were unable to add any more runs in the bottom of the inning after stranding a pair of baserunners.
Flaherty (2-5) took the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks across 1 2/3 innings of work. Rinker allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings of relief.
Ural finished the game 2-for-4 with one run, with six other Tigers recording one base hit each.
UP NEXT
The Tigers and Bearcats will wrap up the series Sunday beginning at noon at Larks Park.