Tigers Hit Four Home Runs in Game 2 Win at Northeastern State; Split Doubleheader

The Fort Hays State baseball team hit four home runs and scored a season-high 19 runs in a 19-8 win over Northeastern State in game two of their doubleheader Saturday in Tahlequah, Oklahoma to salvage a split in their MIAA doubleheader. The RiverHawks took the opener 9-4. The Tigers are now 21-16 overall and 17-15 in the MIAA. The RiverHawks are 20-17 both overall and in MIAA play. The Tigers go for the series win Sunday afternoon.

Game 1: Northeastern State 9, Fort Hays State 4
The Tigers scored two in the top of the fourth to tie the game 4-4 but the RiverHawks answered with five in the bottom of the inning.

Both teams scored two in the first. The Tigers got their runs on a Ryan Busboom groundout and a Horace Johnson single up the middle. They then tied the game three innings later on Jordan Miller’s two out single, scoring Jay Sanders and Chris Sontoscoy.

Alex Ellison (2-6) takes the loss, allowing all nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings. Drew Martineau pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings to close the game.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 19, Northeastern State 8
Fort Hays State broke a 5-5 tie with five in the fifth and four in the sixth. They added three more runs in the eighth and two in the ninth.

Clayton Garland, Kelton Rule and Ryan Busboom all had four hits. Rule and Busboom both drove in five.

Jay Sanders hit a solo home run in the top of the second to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. They made it 5-1 with three in the third on a Garland RBI double and a Rule two-run homer.

The RiverHawks came back with four in the fourth to tie, but the Tigers took the lead back for good and half-inning later. Rule, Nathan Miller, Sanders and Chris Santoscoy all drove in runs. Ryan Busboom hit a three-run homer and Horace Johnson a solo shot in the sixth.

Busboom and Johnson both had RBIs in the Tigers three-run eighth. Rule and Busboom both knocked in runs in the ninth.

Tayler Davis (6-2) allowed eight runs on 10 hits over 7.0 innings and picks up the win. Kyle Leroy struck out three over the final two innings.

Cody Robinson, who leads Division II in home runs, hit his 15th for the RiverHawks.