The Fort Hays State baseball team swept the Saturday doubleheader with Pittsburg State by scores of 25-5 and 5-4, and in the process swept the four-game weekend series. The Tigers were down 4-0 in Game 2 before rallying for one run in the sixth and four in the seventh to overtake the Gorillas. FHSU improved to 15-15 overall and 13-12 in the MIAA with the wins.
Steve Johnson Postgame Interview
coach interview post game 4-07
Game 1: Fort Hays State 25, Pittsburg State 5
A strong wind blowing out at Larks Park in Game 1 aided the Tigers in scoring their most runs in a game this season. After falling down 1-0 on a PSU homer to start the game, the Tigers rallied for six in the bottom of the first and never looked back in the blowout win.
FHSU would go on to open up a 14-5 lead after five innings, then errupted for 11 runs in the sixth, an inning that saw the Tigers hit two of their six home runs in the game.
Ryan Busboom and Shane Wade both had huge performances at the plate, each recording seven RBI. Busboom had a sacrifice fly RBI in the first, an RBI double in the second, a three-run home run in the fifth, and a two-RBI double in the sixth. Wade also had a sacrifice fly RBI in the first, followed by an RBI double in the second, a solo home run in the fourth, and a grand slam homer in the sixth. Wade was one of two Tigers to hit two home runs in the game. Luke Kordsmeier plated all three of his RBI on a pair of home runs, a two-run shot in the first and a solo shot in the sixth right after Wade’s grand slam.
Nash Smith also had three RBI in the game for FHSU with a solo home run in the second and a two-RBI double in the sixth. Anthony Salinas, JC Ochoa and Sam Thornton all recorded one RBI each.
After pitching around trouble in the first inning, FHSU starter Jesse Hart settled in to throw 4 2/3 innings in a winning effort. He moved to 2-0 on the season. Three of the five runs he allowed were earned. He allowed seven hits, walked two, and struck out two. Taylor Davis closed the door on Pitt State over the final 2.1 innings with no hits allowed, two walks, and one strikeout.
Dustin Ulrich suffered the loss for Pittsburg State, allowing the first nine runs of the game to FHSU in 1.1 innings of work.
Game 1 Highlights
fhsu baseball 4-7 game1 highlights
Game 2: Fort Hays State 5, Pittsburg State 4
After all the runs scored in the first game, the wind died down in the second game and a pitcher’s dual ensued between Andy Lewton of FHSU and George Brandecker of Pittsburg State.
The pitchers put goose eggs on the board through the first three innings before Pittsburg State scratched out its first run in the fourth on a RBI groundout to first base unassisted by Ryan Bilovesky with one out. After JC Ochoa touched first, he threw home, but the runner got in under the tag just in time to give the Gorillas the advantage.
With that run in the fourth, PSU snapped a 10-inning scoreless streak by Lewton, who threw shutout baseball over his final seven innings at Emporia State the previous week in a complete game effort.
The Gorillas added on in the sixth with three runs on a pair of singles and a couple of doubles that each fell along the right field line just out of the reach of FHSU right fielder Nash Smith. The doubles set up the run-producing singles by Ryan Reddick and Luke Bordewick. The Bordewick single plated two with two outs.
The Tigers looked poised to make a furious rally in the sixth, but a leadoff home run by Ryan Busboom was all they could plate for runs in the inning. Nash Smith flied out to right field with the bases loaded to end the inning on the first pitch thrown by reliever Cody Wren. Brandecker finished with 5.2 innings thrown for PSU, allowing just one run on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
An error by Pittsburg State to start the seventh would be key in starting Fort Hays State’s four-run rally in the inning. A Mace Krol grounder looked as though it would lead to a double play, but Pittsburg State could only get one out on the play. Busboom followed that with a double to put runners at second and third with one out. JC Ochoa responded with a two-RBI single to close the gap to 4-3. He moved up to second on a throwing error by the PSU left fielder.
That set up the game-tying RBI-single by Brandon Hoefler. Hoefler then moved up to second on a groundout to the pitcher by Luke Kordsmeier, which would have been the end of the inning if the error did not happen to start the inning. Jay Sanders delivered in the clutch for FHSU with another RBI single to put the Tigers on top.
Lewton responded by retiring the PSU side in order in the eighth to finish his gritty effort. Lewton went 8.0 innings and threw 126 pitches. He scattered eight hits and allowed one walk, while striking out three.
Brett Macari entered in the ninth to pick up his second save of the season and preserve the win for Lewton, who moved to 4-2 on the season. After getting a weak groundout to start the inning, the Gorillas had a pair of seeing-eye singles that put runners at first and second with just the one out. Macari got a double play grounder to end the game off the bat of Austin Lastimado.
Game 2 Highlights
fhsu baseball 4-7 game2 highlights
Fort Hays State reached .500 overall and went over .500 in conference play for the first time this season with the series sweep. The Tigers have 19 games remaining on their schedule this year, 14 of which are in conference play. The Tigers play a conference doubleheader at Washburn on Tuesday in Topeka. FHSU and Washburn split a doubleheader earlier in the season in Hays. You can hear Tuesday’s games on KAYS (1400-AM).
The Tigers, now at 13-12 in the MIAA, are just a half game back of fourth-place Washburn (14-12) in the conference standings. FHSU made a giant leap in the conference standings with the sweep of Pitt State, now in fifth place alone, but Missouri Southern and Southwest Baptist lurk just a half game back of FHSU, each at .500 in conference play.
– FHSU Sports Information –