FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - Five unearned runs helped the Northwest Missouri State baseball team prevent a series sweep on Sunday, with the Bearcats escaping with a 14-9 win over Fort Hays State in the weekend finale. The Tigers (20-27, 10-20) outhit the Bearcats (11-32, 9-21) for the third day in a row, but five home runs and six Tiger errors helped NWMSU pick up the victory.
Box Score
Tiger starter Cade Flaherty struck out three of the first six batters he faced, but a solo home run to lead off the top of the second gave the Bearcats a 1-0 lead. The Tigers bounced back in the home half, scoring two runs on an error, a walk and two base hits. Elliott Herrmann drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a throwing error before Mikey Felton gave the Tigers the lead with an RBI single through the left side.
Four walks helped the Bearcats tie the score in the third, but the Tiger bats once again responded immediately. Isaiah Ural led off with a line-drive home run over the fence in left, putting the Tigers up 3-2. Emile Boies followed with a single before Herrmann smashed his fourth home run of the weekend over the wall in left.
Four hits and one Tiger error allowed Northwest to bat around in the fourth, giving the visitors a 7-5 lead after five runs crossed the plate. Fort Hays State strung together a trio of singles in the fifth, with Trey DeGarmo making it a one-run game on an RBI single that plated Boies.
Andrew Hansen came on in relief in the fourth inning and allowed just two hits to the first 10 batters he faced, striking out a pair. The Bearcats broke through once again the seventh, scoring four runs, three of which were unearned, on three hits and three errors.
Fort Hays State answered once again following the seventh inning stretch when Ed Scott led off with a solo home run to left field. Boies and Herrmann later clubbed back-to-back doubles before Zane Knox closed the gap to 11-9 with an RBI single through the right side.
The Bearcats kept rolling in the eighth, scoring three more runs, two of which were unearned, on two hits and two Tiger errors. Bearcat sophomore Max Pawela clubbed his third home run of the game in the eighth, giving the visitors a five-run advantage, 14-9.
The Tigers had their leadoff man on base in both the eighth and ninth innings, but were unable to manufacture any runs.
Flaherty struck out four batters in 3.1 innings of work, walking seven and surrendering five runs on three hits. Hansen allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and zero walks while striking out a pair in 2.2 innings of relief. Jenner Kehe came on to record the final four outs, walking one batter but not allowing any hits.
Herrmann finished the day 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI, while Boies was 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Ural, DeGarmo and Knox also had multi-hit days.
The Tigers will wrap up the regular season against fourth-ranked Central Missouri on the road in Warrensburg, Mo. next weekend (April 28-30). First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.