FHSU Athletics
WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The Fort Hays State baseball team took an early 3-0 lead in its first postseason game in 11 seasons, but conference champion and second-ranked Central Missouri scored the final five runs to take game one of the MIAA Championship quarterfinal series Friday evening, 5-3. The Tigers (25-25) scored three runs in the fourth inning before the Mules (44-6) answered back with three runs in the bottom of the inning and two more in the fifth before hanging on for the win.
Fort Hays State went down in order in the top of the first before starting pitcher Ty Riley issued a pair of walks in the bottom of the inning. The righty got out of the jam with two strikeouts and a ground ball before facing the minimum in the second and third innings.
After the first nine Tiger batters were retired, Cesar Saavedra got on thanks to a walk to start the second time through the order. Brady Kreutzer followed and delivered on a perfectly executed hit and run, sending a double into right center that allowed Saavedra to score from first. After UCM went to the bullpen, Isaiah Ural tripled the lead four pitches later on a 2-1 pitch, putting the Tigers in front 3-0 and extending his hitting streak to 15 games.
Central Missouri collected its first hit of the game with a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning, followed by another single, a triple and a sacrifice fly to tie things up at 3-3. The Mules' first two batters reached base safely in the fifth, but Riley was close to getting out of the inning with back-to-back fly balls. The next batter reached on an error, allowing a run to score before UCM executed a double steal to push the lead to 5-3.
Saavedra singled to lead off the sixth but was later thrown out attempting to take an extra base. Riley sat down the Mules in order in the bottom of the inning before Tanner Vaughn retired six of the seven batters he faced in two innings of relief.
Jamison Armstrong singled with two outs in the top of the eighth, but FHSU was unable to push across a run before going down in order in the ninth.
Riley (4-3) took the loss after surrendering five runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out three batters in 6 innings of work. Vaughn struck out two in his 2 innings of relief, with just one batter reaching via error. Five UCM pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will look to extend their season and even the series Saturday when the teams battle in game two beginning at 2 p.m.