HAYS, Kan. – Two big innings came back to haunt the Fort Hays State baseball team in a 12-8 loss to Washburn Tuesday afternoon inside Larks Park. The Tigers dip to 7-18 overall and 1-12 in the MIAA after their eighth-straight loss, while the Ichabods move to 15-9 this season and 7-6 in the MIAA.
Steve Johnson Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Outs were hard to come by for pitchers on both sides, with the teams combining for 29 hits on the breezy afternoon. Ten of the hits were extra-base knocks, including four home runs, three for Washburn and one for the Tigers. The Tigers had plenty of chances to score, reaching base in every inning and leaving 13 runners on base.
Both starters found trouble in the early going, but settled down as the afternoon progressed. The Ichabods took an early lead with a two-run home run in the second plate appearance of the game. Fort Hays State promptly tied things up in the bottom half thanks to three walks, a hit by pitch, an RBI single from Dayton Pomeroy and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jake Lanferman.
After sending the minimum to the plate in the second and third innings, Washburn took control in the top of the fourth with six runs. The Tigers clawed within 8-3 in the home half of the fourth when Colton Helm led off with a single to left center. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from Ty Redington, the sophomore came around to score on Nick Hammek’s second double of the afternoon, a drive off the wall in left center.
The Tigers manufactured another run in the sixth inning thanks to a leadoff double from Marcus Altman. The freshman advanced 90 feet on Helm’s sacrifice bunt before trotting home on a deep sacrifice fly from Redington, making the score 8-4.
Washburn erupted for another big inning in the seventh, scoring four runs on five hits. The Tigers responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, bringing the scoring total to 12-7. Lanferman legged out an infield single before moving to third on a double to left from Trevor Hughes. Pinch hitter Bryce Witchurch cleared the bases after sending a laser over the fence in right, tallying his second home run of the year.
Fort Hays State scored a run in a strange ninth inning after a dropped third strike, a fielder’s choice, a wild pitch, an infield single and an error, but the Ichabod lead was too much to overcome.
Hammeke put together his second four-hit game (two doubles, two singles) of the season, tying for first in the MIAA and seventh in the nation with 12 doubles on the season. Helm recorded the first multi-hit game of his career, finishing 2-for-4 with two runs. Pomeroy and Lanferman both finished with two hits and one RBI.
Ben Ramberg (0-6) took the loss after giving up seven runs on six hits in 3.1 innings of work. Freshman Ryan Ruder came on in relief in the fourth, giving up a towering home run on his first pitch before retiring seven of the next 10 batters he faced. The lefty surrendered the four-spot in the seventh inning, finishing with three strikeouts in three innings of work while allowing five runs on six hits. Easton Palmer came on to finish the game for the Tigers, scattering three hits across 2.2 innings and recording a pair of strikeouts.
The Tigers will be back out on the diamond Wednesday (March 22) when they face off with Northwestern Oklahoma State at 4 p.m.