HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team picked up a split in Saturday's doubleheader against Regis, falling in the opener 8-4 before rallying for an 8-2 win in the nightcap. The Tigers are now 1-10 overall entering Sunday's series finale, scheduled for noon at Larks Park, while the Rangers move to 5-7-1 this season.
Game 1 - Regis 8, Fort Hays State 4
Tiger starter Jake Campbell worked around two hits in the first before giving up three runs on four hits in the second. Regis added a fourth run with a solo home run in the third before Campbell faced the minimum in the fourth.
The Tiger offense struggled to solve Regis starter Dylan De Leon early on, collecting just two hits over the first four innings. Regis doubled its lead in the fifth with four runs on three hits and two Tiger errors before FHSU started to claw back in the home half of the inning.
Mason Holton worked a two-out walk before Conner Kessler drilled a line drive into the left-field corner. Holton sprinted home from first, forcing a throw that got away from the catcher and allowed Kessler to score.
The Tigers added two more runs in the sixth when a pitch hit Mikey Felton in the first plate appearance of the frame. Cade Flaherty drove him in with a triple to right two batters later before scoring himself on a pinch-hit double from Traelon Yarbrough.
Fort Hays State had two runners on in the seventh with only one out, but the Regis bullpen got out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout, leaving the tying run in the on-deck circle.
Campbell (0-3) allowed four runs on eight hits over 4.0 innings of work while striking out a pair. Dustin Menard gave up one unearned run in 2.0 innings of work, while Espen Donaldson hurled a 1-2-3 inning in his Tiger debut with one strikeout.
Flaherty had two of FHSU's six hits, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Regis collected 12 hits, while both teams committed two errors. The Tiger defense turned three double plays, giving FHSU an MIAA-high 10 on the year.
Game 2 - Fort Hays State 8, Regis 2
Starting pitcher Sammy Sanchez opened game two with a walk, but the runner was promptly retired with a perfect throw on an attempted steal from Ridge Stephens. The junior settled in after that, retiring eight of the next nine batters, including three strikeouts. Regis got another leadoff man on in the fourth, but Stephens caught him stealing as well.
The Tiger offense, meanwhile, got things going early with two runs in the first, one in the third and five in the fourth. Ed Scott worked a one-out walk before Grant Schmidt singled up the middle. Yarbrough followed with another clutch hit two batters later, doubling to left with two outs to drive in a pair.
Schmidt picked up another single up the middle in the third, this time driving in a run when Jenner Kehe scored from second.
The Tigers sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth, including a leadoff hit-by-pitch by Stephens. Kehe then worked a walk before Scott sent a single to right that was misplayed by the fielder, allowing two runs to score. Flaherty kept things rolling with a three-run home run to left field later in the inning, his first collegiate home run.
Regis got one run back in the fifth on two hits before Sanchez needed just six pitches to retire the side in order in the sixth. The Rangers scored again in the seventh before Dylan Hamilton came on to slam the door, striking out both batters he faced to seal the 8-2 win.
Sanchez (1-1) gave up two runs on seven hits and just one walk while striking out four batters over 6.1 innings of work. The Tigers had just five hits, but were granted nine free bases on walks and hit-by-pitches.
Kehe, Scott and Schmidt all scored two runs, with Schmidt finishing 2-for-2 with one walk.