The Fort Hays State baseball team claimed a pair of crucial victories at Southwest Baptist on Friday afternoon by scores of 4-1 and 5-3. Solid starts by Shawn Lewick and Alex Ellison coupled with Brett Macari to close out both games proved to be the winning combination for the Tigers in the first two games of the weekend series. FHSU improved to 21-18 overall and 18-15 in the MIAA with the wins.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 4, Southwest Baptist 1
FHSU starting pitcher Shawn Lewick and SBU starter Tyler Burnett were locked in a pitcher’s dual through the first three innings, with Lewick surrendering the only hit of the game to that point.
However, Burnett finally ran into trouble in the fourth as a Ryan Busboom double, the first hit of the game for FHSU, would lead to an RBI single by Mace Krol to put FHSU up 1-0. FHSU eventually loaded the bases with two outs in the inning, but could not push any more runs across.
FHSU went back to work at the plate in the fifth, scoring three runs. A pair of singles by Sheldon Howell and JC Ochoa and a Busboom walk set up a two-RBI single by Brandon Hoefler. The Tigers would load the bases again and Jay Sanders drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-0.
That would be plenty for Lewick, as he surrendered just one run in 6.1 innings. He allowed six hits and walked just one with six strikeouts.
After Lewick retired the first batter of the seventh inning, he allowed back-to-back singles. Brett Macari came in and immediately slammed the door on the rally by inducing a ground ball double play to end the game. Macari recorded his fifth save of the season.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 5, Southwest Baptist 3
The Tigers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on back-to-back RBI singles by Ryan Busboom and Mace Krol in the first inning. The lead grew to 3-0 in the top of the third on an RBI double by Mace Krol, knocking in Sheldon Howell who doubled to start the inning.
FHSU starter Alex Ellison held the Bearcats scoreless in the first two innings, but finally surrendered a run in the third and a pair in the fourth, which tied the game up at 3-3.
Ellison and SBU starter Mike Nielebeck settled in after allowing the early runs to each give their teams 8.0 innings. However, the Tigers finally got to Nielebeck again in the eighth rallying with two outs in the inning. A Ryan Busboom double led to an RBI single by Krol and then an RBI double by Brandon Hoefler. Ellison worked around a leadoff double by the Bearcats in the eighth to keep the score at 5-3 heading to the ninth.
Brett Macari entered to slam the door on the Bearcats once again for his sixth save of the season. He allowed just one hit in the ninth with two outs before getting a pop out to end the game.
The Tigers jumped back over Missouri Southern in the MIAA standings on Friday with the pair of wins and now sits just a half-game back of Emporia State and Washburn for third place.
– FHSU Sports Information –