FHSU Sports Information
Fort Hays State’s Kevin Czarnecki hit a grand slam and then a 3-run game-tying homer with two outs in the ninth to help FHSU to a 12-11 comeback win in 10 innings on Sunday (Mar. 23) against Northwest Missouri State at Larks Park in Hays. FHSU won the game on a throwing error by the shortstop with two outs in the 10th, plating a runner from third.
Fort Hays State, now 7-16 overall and 6-14 in the MIAA, came all the way back from a 9-2 deficit to eventually tie the game in the ninth on Czarnecki’s heroics. The Tigers split the four-game series with the Bearcats.
Steve Johnson Postgame Interview
Pitching struggled early as each team’s starter lasted only 0.2 innings (Alex Cox for FHSU and Andrew Trout for NWMSU). After one inning, Northwest Missouri State (14-10, 10-7 MIAA) led 4-2. After getting two quick outs to start the second inning, Northwest Missouri State strung together five straight hits, a walk, and then another hit to score five runs and take a 9-2 advantage. The five runs were charged to Joe Mapes, who relieved Cox.
With one RBI already to his credit in the first inning, Czarnecki stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the second with two outs and delivered a grand slam over the left field wall to cut the Bearcat lead back to three at 9-6.
Both teams had pitching finally settle in to tack up zeros from the third through sixth innings. Northwest Missouri State finally ended the scoring drought with two runs in the top of the seventh off reliever Gabe Cook, who did a great job limiting the Bearcats to just the two runs on five hits and four walks with one strikeout in his 5.0 innings of relief.
FHSU immediately got the two runs back in the bottom of the seventh to make it 11-8. Austin Unrein came in to score on a passed ball and Clayton Garland had a RBI on a fielder’s choice.
Nick Hammeke relieved Cook to start the eighth inning and worked a pair of 1-2-3 innings to set the stage for the bottom of the ninth. Hammeke came into the game at shortstop in the third inning when Cook moved from shortstop to pitcher. That made the Tigers drop the DH in the lineup early in the game, but it worked to success as Cook and Hammeke were the key on the mound to let the Tiger offense chip away.
A win looked bleak for FHSU with two outs in the ninth and no runners aboard, but Garland was hit by a pitch and then Horace Johnson singled to right field to set the stage for Czarnecki. Opting to continue to bat left-handed even though he can switch hit, Czarnecki took a first-pitch fastball from lefty Ryker Fox and smoked it over the right field wall to tie the game at 11-11 and run his RBI total to eight for the game, the most by a FHSU player since April 12, 2008 when Greg Bieker had nine against Truman.
Hammeke danced around hitting a batter in the 10th, getting a groundout to keep the Bearcats scoreless with the go-ahead runner stranded at third.
With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Cook walked and then Austin Unrein singled to put runners at first and second. Cook moved to third on a flyout to right field by Jordan Miller. With two outs, Gus Strunk hit a chopper and reached by a throwing error on the Bearcat shortstop that short-hopped the first baseman, allowing Cook to score the game-winning run.
Hammeke did not allow a hit in his three innings of relief work and struck out one, moving to 2-0 on the season. Fox took the loss for Northwest Missouri, now 4-2 after tossing 3.1 innings of relief. Fox was the starting pitcher and winner for NWMSU in the first game of the series.
The Tigers are slated to play Bethany College in a non-conference game on Wednesday (Mar. 26) at Larks Park in Hays. Game time is set for 3 pm. The Tigers then host Emporia State in a four-game conference series on the weekend (Mar. 28-30) with Friday as “Pack the Park” night at Larks Park.