FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the first two games of the conference schedule Saturday against Washburn, losing 13-7 in extra innings in the opener and 9-2 in the nightcap.
The Tigers (7-7, 0-2 MIAA) and Ichabods (8-7, 2-0 MIAA) will wrap up the series Sunday afternoon (Feb. 26) beginning at 1 p.m. at Larks Park.
Game 1 - Washburn 13, Fort Hays State 7 (10 inn.)
The Tigers jumped in front in the opener after a pitch came inside on leadoff hitter Ed Scott. An Isaiah Ural single and a walk to Emile Boies loaded the bases for Zane Knox, who crushed a 3-2 pitch sailing over the fence in right field for a grand slam.
After Connor Holle faced the minimum through two innings, Washburn got on the board with three runs on four hits in the third before taking the lead with two runs in the fourth. The Tigers had baserunners in each frame between the first and the ninth, but the Washburn pitching staff did well to work out of trouble and post seven-straight zeros on the board.
Trailing 7-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers opened a one-out rally when Elliott Herrmann worked a walk. Boies then reached on a botched grounder by the Ichabod first baseman, bringing Knox back to the plate as the game-tying run.
The third baseman delivered with a first-pitch home run over the wall in right, tying the score at seven and giving the junior seven RBI on the day.
After giving up the lead in the bottom of the ninth, Washburn responded with six runs in the 10th to take the game in extra innings.
Knox finished the game 4-for-5, while Scott was 3-for-4 at the dish. Luuk ter Beek struck out three batters over 5.0 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits.
Game 2 - Washburn 9, Fort Hays State 2
Game two starter Andrew Hansen worked out of a jam in the top of the first, leaving the bases loaded after recording his second strikeout of the inning to end the frame. Trey DeGarmo, Ural and Herrmann then rattled off back-to-back-to-back singles in the home half of the inning, giving the Tigers another early lead. FHSU doubled the lead in the second when Joel Nieves drove in Mikey Felton with an RBI groundout.
Hansen retired the side in order in the second before surrendering three runs in both the third and fourth innings, giving WU a 6-2 lead. After the Tigers collected three hits in the first inning, the Washburn pitchers limited FHSU to just two hits for the rest of the contest.
Hansen (0-2) struck out four batters across 4.0 innings of work, allowing six runs. Jacob Shope did not give up a hit and struck out two batters over 1.1 innings of relief.