FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped its series opener against Northwest Missouri State Friday evening at Larks Park, 3-2. The Tigers (20-15, 8-13 MIAA) took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth, but the Bearcats (16-19, 8-13) hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to take the lead for good.
The teams were locked in a pitchers' duel through much of the contest, with neither side scoring a run until the sixth inning. Tiger starter Ty Riley worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the first with a strikeout and a groundout before allowing no more than one baserunner in each of the next four innings.
Bearcat starter Quinn Mason retired the first six batters before Justin Lipka reached on an error to start the third inning. The Tigers had two more runners reach base via error in the fourth and fifth innings, but did not record a base hit until the sixth inning.
Northwest Missouri State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth when reliever Tanner Vaughn gave up a leadoff single. The Bearcat runner moved up 90 feet on a groundout before stealing third and coming in to score on an errant throw.
The Tigers responded in the home half of the inning when Trey DeGarmo picked up the first FHSU base hit, a leadoff double into the right-field corner. Brady Kreutzer followed with a double off the wall in right, tying up the game with his 34th RBI of the season.
Vaughn worked around a pair of two-out walks in the seventh to strand two men in scoring position before working around a single in the eighth, giving the Tigers a chance to take the lead in the home half of the inning.
The Bearcats went to the bullpen in Jake Ciafullo to start the eighth, who promptly issued a leadoff walk to Cesar Saavedra. The leadoff hitter moved to second on a Kreutzer sacrifice bunt before advancing to third on a groundout. Elliott Herrmann came through with a big two-out base hit, singling through the hole at short to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Saavedra made a great catch in foul territory to start the ninth inning, collecting the ball just before running into the wall in right field. But with one out the Bearcat eight-hole hitter sent a double just inside the third-base bag and the nine-hole hitter followed with a line-drive home run over the fence in right field, quickly giving the visitors a 3-2 lead. Northwest's Jacob Gajic came on to collect his fifth save of the season, retiring the side in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Riley worked five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out three batters. Vaughn (3-1) took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks alongside one strikeout. Northwest Missouri State held a 7-4 edge in hits, while the Bearcats had three errors compared to just one on the Tigers.
UP NEXT
The teams will continue the MIAA series Saturday (April 6) beginning at 2 p.m. before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday (April 7) at noon.