FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State fell to Rogers State in the series opener of the three-game set at Larks Park on Friday (Feb. 27). The Hillcats won 20-10 as the teams combined for 37 hits. RSU moved to 10-3 overall on the season and 3-1 in the MIAA, while FHSU moved to 4-11 overall and 1-4 in the MIAA.
The teams have agreed to play a doubleheader to close out the series on Saturday (Feb. 28), starting at 11 a.m. The adjustment is due to poor weather forecasted for Sunday in the Hays area.
Rogers State led 10-0 through two and a half innings before the Tigers broke through for their first run in the third on an Antonio Avila RBI single. The Hillcats scored three more in the fourth and led 13-1 through four innings.
The Tigers started to make a surge at the Hillcats with nine runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Garretson Cook hit a 3-run home run in the fifth and Derek Woolwine followed with an RBI single. In the sixth, Avila singled home a pair of runs, cutting the lead to 13-7.
Rogers State plated five more runs in the seventh to get the lead back to 11, but Cooper Howell was able to extend the game with a two-out, 3-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, making the score 18-10. The Hillcats tacked on single runs in the eighth and ninth to round out the scoring.
Karter Beving had the longest outing on the mound for the Tigers, pitching 4.0 innings of relief in the fifth through eighth innings. He pitched a pair of scoreless frames. Brett Jacobs took the loss in his start, allowing six runs through 2.0 innings.
Damon Anderson-Wolf picked up a win in relief for the Hillcats, going 1.2 innings. Mason Trotter recorded a three-inning save.