FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team picked up a 5-3 win over No. 14 Missouri Southern in Sunday's series finale. The Tigers (11-4, 1-2 MIAA) doubled up the Lions (14-3, 2-1 MIAA) in hits, 12-6, while FHSU committed one fewer error in the win.
The first three batters of the game reached base for the Lions, prompting FHSU to go to the bullpen in Ty Riley. The flame-throwing right hander was able to get out of the jam with two strikeouts and a flyout.
The Tiger bats fed off Riley's momentum when Kyle Morrell worked a two-out walk, triggering a rally in the bottom of the first. Elliott Herrmann followed with a single before Jose Cintron plated the first run of the game with a single through the hole at short.
Riley retired the side in order in the top of the second before Sebastian Burgos led off the home half of the inning with his first home run of the season, a line-drive blast over the wall in left on a 2-0 pitch.
Missouri Southern again left the bases loaded in the top of the third before managing just one baserunner over the next two innings. Fort Hays State added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth when Herrmann reached on a one-out error. The first baseman then raced home on a Cintron double into the gap in right center, giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
The Lions seemed poised to get on the board in the sixth after recording two hits, but Riley again escaped the jam by stranding the bases loaded for the third time.
Fort Hays State made it a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Jamison Armstrong led off with a single to left center. He advanced to second on a passed ball before later scoring on a two-out base knock from Morrell. Cintron tacked on his third RBI of the game with another single two batters later, plating Morrell and stretching the Tiger lead to 5-0.
The visitors broke through in the seventh, scoring one run on a solo home run and another on a dropped third strike, but Riley was able to limit the damage after getting out of the inning with a fly ball to left on his 127th pitch of the afternoon.
Fort Hays State had chances to add to its lead in the seventh and the eighth, but the Tigers stranded a pair in both innings to keep the score at 5-2.Pitching for the second time this weekend, Tanner Vaughn worked around a two-out double to escape the eighth thanks to a called third strike for out number three. The Tigers called on Spencer Maley to finish the ninth after Vaughn was hit in the back by a line drive. Maley needed 14 pitches to record the final three outs, inducing one fly ball and two groundouts.
Missouri Southern finished the game with 14 runners left on base, while the Tigers left 13 runners stranded.
Riley (2-0) struck out nine batters in 7.0 innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits and five walks. Vaughn gave up one unearned run and struck out one batter in 1.0 innings of work, while Maley retired all three batters he faced to pick up his second save of the year.
Herrmann and Cintron both tallied three hits on the day, with Morrell scoring two runs after reaching base three times (one hit, two walks).Fort Hays State will hit the road next weekend to continue conference play at Rogers State. First pitch in the series opener is set for 2 p.m. in Claremore, Okla.