The Fort Hays State baseball team takes both games of their doubleheader at Lincoln Sunday. The Tigers (5-10, 4-7) win the opener 15-3 then won game two 14-1 for a sweep of the rain-shortened series. Junior left fielder Ryan Busboom had a big day with four hits, two of the them home runs and 10 RBI’s. The fourth game of the series will not be played due to conference rules that state a four-game series must be played in a three-day window. Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader was rained out.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 15, Lincoln 3
After falling down 2-0 through two innings, the Tiger offense finally came to life in the third inning. Anthony Salinas drove in the first run for the Tigers on a fielder’s choice. He would later score, along with Sheldon Howell and Mace Krol on a bases-clearing double by Ryan Busboom to give FHSU a 4-2 lead. It was just the start of an eventual 10-RBI day for Busboom.
An error by Lincoln in the fourth led to the flood gates opening, as the Tigers scored seven unearned runs. Howell triggered the scoring with a sacrifice fly RBI. Brandon Hoefler and Krol each followed with an RBI singles. Busboom cleared the bases once again with a three-run home run to push the FHSU lead to 10-2. Brett Macari capped the rally with an RBI double.
The Tigers tacked on two more in the fifth with another sacrifice fly RBI by Howell and RBI single by Hoefler. Salinas produced a single run in the sixth on an RBI double and JC Ochoa produced the Tigers’ lone run in the seventh on an RBI single.
Andy Lewton picked up the win for FHSU in six innings of work. He scattered six hits and allowed three runs, while striking out three and walking two. He moved to 2-2 on the season with the win. Tyler Treinen pitched a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts to preserve the win.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 14, Lincoln 1
FHSU kept the offense going early in the second game, scoring three times in the first to take a 3-0 lead. After loading the bases with the first three batters of the game, Ryan Busboom had an RBI on a walk, JC Ochoa had an RBI on a groundout, and Brandon Hoefler had a sacrifice fly RBI.
After getting a single to start the third inning, Busboom would later score on a wild pitch to put FHSU up 4-0.
The Tigers put the game away via the big inning in the fifth. Shane Wade and Anthony Salinas each drove in runs on RBI singles, then each later scored on wild pitches. A fielding error off the bat of Mace Krol plated two more runs, which should have been the end of the inning. Busboom made Lincoln pay for the error by knocking a two-run homer, his second home run of the game and third of the series.
Busboom capped his stellar offensive weekend in the seventh with an RBI single for his 10th RBI of the day. Hoefler also produced an RBI single in the final inning.
Connor Beer had a great outing on the mound for FHSU, pitching six strong innings. The only run he allowed in the third was unearned. He allowed just three hits and struck out three with no walks, moving to 1-2 on the season. Andy Hammeke pitched a scoreless final inning of relief with two strikeouts.
– FHSU Sports Information –