HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team let a lead slip away in the late innings Friday evening (April 7) against Lindenwood, falling 4-3. The Tigers used some spectacular defense and timely pitching to work out of numerous jams early on, but the luck ran out in the final innings.
The Tigers dip to 9-23 this season and 2-17 in the MIAA, while Lindenwood improves to 20-14 overall and 13-9 in the conference.
The Lions left a whopping 17 runners on base, leaving the bases loaded three times. Tiger starter Ben Ramberg faced the minimum in just one inning, working out of trouble all evening to limit LU to a pair of unearned runs. He finished with a no decision, striking out five while allowing four hits and six walks.
The Fort Hays State defense made several stellar plays to keep LU scoreless early on, including a diving catch by Jake Lanferman in center with two runners on in the third and a running grab by the sophomore to get out of the same inning. Clayton Basgall found himself in the right place at the right time for a double play in the fifth, negating a would-be single up the middle as he was heading towards the bag to cover on a steal. The junior gloved the ball on a high hop, stepped on the bag and fired the ball to first to complete the double play. Nick Hammeke also made a great play up the middle, turning a potential leadoff base knock into a 6-3 putout.
One of the stranger plays you will see happened with the bases loaded in the eighth inning. The Lindenwood batter sent a towering popup down the left field line, and with the lights turned on at Larks Park neither Jace Bowman nor Ty Redington could track it down. With the Lion runners taking off as soon as the ball hit the ground, Redington made a heads-up play and fired a rocket right to catcher Trevor Hughes who stretched out like a first baseman to secured the force out at the plate.
As Ramberg was holding the Lions scoreless over the first six innings, the Tiger offense took advantage and grabbed the lead. Redington opened the fourth with a single to right center before Lanferman crushed a ball to left center, missing a home run by about two feet as the ball caromed off the top of the wall. Hammeke followed with another double, this time pulling one into the left field corner to drive in two.
The Tigers stretched the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Bowman worked a one-out walk. Colton Helm laid down a sacrifice bunt to the right side, but the LU second baseman threw the ball away, allowing Bowman to move up to third. Redington then laid down another bunt, picking up an RBI on a sacrifice bunt scoring Bowman.
Lindenwood took advantage of too many walks and bean balls by the Tiger relievers, scoring three of their four runs off free passes.
Hammeke finished the game 3-for-4 with two doubles, giving him an MIAA-best 16 two-base hits this season. After getting the Tigers out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh, Easton Palmer (1-2) took the loss after giving up two runs in the eighth.
The Tigers and Lions will face off in game two of the series Saturday at 6 p.m.
FHSU Sports Information