FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped their series opener to Pittsburg State, 14-1, on Friday at Larks Park before falling in the second game of the series, 9-5. The Gorillas move to 19-7, 11-3 MIAA while the Tigers fall to 13-17, 4-10 MIAA.
The Tigers and Gorillas are set to wrap up the series on Saturday (March 25), with first pitch set for noon.
Game One – Pittsburg State 14, Fort Hays State 1
The Gorillas got the bats going early in the weekend opener and Zac Shoemaker took command on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings. The Gorillas scored twice in the opening frame including a leadoff home run by Jake Grauberger on the second pitch of the game.
Daniel Bebee got the nod for the Tigers on the mound and allowed six runs on seven hits over three innings before leaving early due to an injury. Pittsburg State scored two more runs in the second on another home run before adding another run in the third to take a 5-0 lead.
The Tigers began to build momentum in the bottom of the third with a walk to Ed Scott and a single from Trey DeGarmo, but the Tigers were unable to bring them around.
The Gorillas added four runs in the fourth with help from another two-run shot before pushing the lead to 10 in the sixth.
The Tigers scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the sixth on a pair of back-to-back doubles from Isaiah Ural and Elliott Herrmann to end the shutout. Jacob Shope entered to pitch the seventh for the Tigers and held the Gorillas in check, but PSU pulled away in the eighth with four more runs.
Shope threw one scoreless frame while walking three batters. Dustin Menard and Trip Davis combined to throw the final inning allowing two runs each.
Emile Boies, Ridge Stephens, DeGarmo, Ural and Herrmann each tallied a hit for the Tigers.
Game Two – Pittsburg State 9, Fort Hays State 5
Zach Berg retired the first two batters he faced in game two before three consecutive singles from the Gorillas plated a run in the top of the first. The Tigers answered in the home half when Scott led off with a solo home run to left center.
The Gorillas reclaimed the lead in following frame with a solo shot of their own before scoring two runs on an RBI single in the third.
The Tigers manufactured a run in the bottom of the third when Colter Maldonado drew a leadoff walk. Scott followed with a bunt single, with Maldonado later scoring on a wild pitch. Pittsburg State scored one run in the fourth inning, but the Tigers answered with a pair of runs to trim the deficit to 5-4. Back-to-back doubles from Boies and Zane Knox plated the first run before a failed double play attempt allowed Maldonado to reach base safely and Knox to score.
Pittsburg State scored a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to stretch their lead to three, but FHSU answered in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single from Boies. The Gorillas scored their final two runs in the eighth and held off the Tigers to clinch the series victory.
Berg went 5.0 innings on the mound, giving up six runs on 11 hits and one walk while collecting five strikeouts. Andrew Hansen provided 2.2 frames of relief, allowing two runs on two hits striking out one batter before Jenner Kehe took over to close out the eighth allowing one run on one hit. Cade Flaherty closed out the contest for the Tigers, retiring the Gorillas in order in the ninth and picked up a strikeout.
Scott finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 at the plate with one run and one RBI while Boies (2-for-5) recorded another multi-hit game.