FHSU Athletics
JOPLIN, Mo - The Fort Hays State baseball team outhit Missouri Southern by three and committed two fewer errors on Saturday but lost 10-8 in 10 innings at Warren Turner Field. The Tigers (9-17, 6-10 MIAA) rallied from a 7-2 deficit to take an 8-7 lead before the Lions (15-10, 10-5 MIAA) scored one in the ninth and two in the 10th to steal the win.
Fort Hays State got things going right away when Antonio Avila and Cooper Howell led off with back-to-back walks. Tytin Goebel and Justin Lipka followed with RBI singles, putting the visitors up 2-0. Missouri Southern answered with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning, leveling the score at two.
After both teams left men on base in the second and third innings, MSSU took its first lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. The Lions then took control with four runs on two hits and four free bases in the bottom of the fifth.
Avila opened FHSU's comeback with an RBI double in the top of the sixth before Derek Woolwine lifted a sacrifice fly to right field in the seventh, helping the Tigers pull within 7-4. Avila, Howell and Erick Ordonez then led off the eighth with a trio of singles, scoring another run to make it a two-run game. Garretson Cook pulled FHSU within one with an RBI groundout before Tony Moore came through with a go-ahead single to right, plating a pair and giving the visitors an 8-7 edge.
After Brett Jacobs had retired 11-straight batters, the Lions rallied in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out walk followed by a game-tying double. The Tigers had their leadoff man aboard in the top of the 10th but were unable to score before the Lions used a two-out, two-run home run to walk off with the win.
Eight different Tigers picked up a base hit on the day, including two each from Avila, Howell, Goebel and Moore. Tucker Russell made the start and allowed five runs on six hits alongside three strikeouts over four-plus innings of work. Brett Jacobs (1-4) took the loss after allowing five runs on three hits over 5.2 innings of relief, striking out five.
The Tigers and Lions will wrap up the series on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.