FHSU Athletics
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Fort Hays State baseball team split the first of two doubleheaders against New Mexico Highlands on Friday (Feb. 10). The Cowboys capitalized on a few miscues in the opener, winning 5-3 on only two hits, but a combination of solid pitching and offensive production helped the Tigers secure the split. FHSU moves to 3-3 overall, while NMHU picked up their first win of the season moving to 1-5 on the year.
The series is set to conclude with another doubleheader on Saturday (Feb. 11) in Las Vegas, N.M. beginning at noon (11 a.m. MT).
Game 1 - New Mexico Highlands 5, Fort Hays State 3
The Tigers took advantage of a smattering of miscues by the Cowboys in the first inning as Trey DeGarmo reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman. A passed ball followed by a wild pitch allowed DeGarmo to come around and score.
The Cowboys took the lead in the third inning where they collected three runs on a pair of hits, their only two base knocks of the contest. A walk with the bases loaded would bring home their first run before a single to left field plated two more runs. The Tigers responded in the fourth with a solo bomb from Zach Davis trimming the Cowboy lead to 3-2.
Three straight walks loaded the bases for the Cowboys in the home half and a pair of sacrifice plays would plate their final two runs of the contest. Zane Knox delivered his first home run of the season in the fifth, but the Tiger scoring ended there. Fort Hays State managed to get their leadoff hitter on base in the last two innings, but were unable to cut into the Cowboy lead.
Mikey Felton finished 2-for-3 at the plate while Andrew Hansen and Cade Flaherty combined for nine strikeouts in six innings. Flaherty struck out five batters over three scoreless innings of relief without allowing a base hit.
Game 2 - Fort Hays State 16, New Mexico Highlands 2
The Cowboys struck first in game two with a run in the opening inning before the Tigers took the lead for good with four runs in the third. A trio of singles by Ed Scott, Knox and Isaiah Ural loaded the bases for Elliott Herrmann. The MIAA co-Hitter of the Week collected his first two of three RBI on a fielder's choice.. Back-to-back singles from Emile Boies and Felton plated the final two runs of the inning.
The Cowboys scored one more run in the home half of the third before the Tiger pitching staff stymied Cowboy hitters over the final six innings. Connor Holle (1-0) earned his first win as a Tiger after striking out eight batters over five innings of work. He allowing two runs on just three hits. Luuk ter Beek chipped in four scoreless innings of relief, allowing only one hit. ter Beek added six strikeouts while walking just two batters.
The Tigers went on to score 12 unanswered runs over the remaining six innings, pulling away for the blowout win. A single from Herrmann and a sacrifice fly from Felton plated two runs in the fourth before a solo shot from Brady Kreutzer in the fifth put the Tigers up 7-2.
Two more Tiger runs crossed in the sixth as Boies delivered a solo bomb down the right field line before Kreutzer collected a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. A Ridge Stephens RBI single and a bases-loaded walk to Kreutzer pushed the Tiger lead to 11-2 in the eighth inning.
The Tigers batted around in the ninth, plating five runs on two hits. The first four batters were gifted first base with a pair of walks and two being hit by a pitch before Kreutzer hit into a fielder's choice to plate their second run of the inning. The remainder of the runs were scored on the following two at-bats as Scott singled to right to plate Stephens and Knox cleared the bases with a triple down the line in right.
Boies finished 3-for-4 and crossed the plate three times, bringing his team leading total to 12. Kreutzer drove in four RBI, with Herrmann adding three RBI.