HAYS, Kan. – Despite trailing by three with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Fort Hays State baseball team pulled out its second-consecutive victory Wednesday afternoon at Larks Park, defeating Washburn 8-7 on a walk-off walk to Clayton Basgall. The Tigers sent 10 men to the plate in the final inning, scoring five runs to come away victorious.

The Tigers are now 13-21 on the year and 5-16 in MIAA play, while the Ichabods dip to 10-22 this season and 4-17 in conference action.

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Fort Hays State used 10 hits and took advantage of four Ichabod errors to score its eight runs, half of which were unearned. WU countered with seven runs on 11 hits and a pair of Tiger defensive miscues.

The Tigers went into their final at bat trailing 7-3, having not scored since the fourth inning. That all changed when a pitch hit Basgall to spark the big frame. Alex Weiss sent a potential double play ball to the mound in the next at bat, but the Ichabod pitcher mishandled the grounder and the only play was at first. Dayton Pomeroy then pulled a single to right to put runners on the corners before Cody Starkel lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center, putting the Tigers within three but giving them two outs in the inning.

Ryan Grasser singled to right center in the following at bat, forcing the Ichabods to bring in their closer, Zach Linquist. The righty walked Jordan Wilkerson to load the bases before Marcus Altman came through with a huge base hit, dropping a two-RBI single into left center. With the Tigers now down only one, Bryce Baumwart got the call as a pinch hitter. The junior reached base after the second baseman booted a potential game-ending ground ball, allowing Wilkerson to score and tie things up at seven.

A walk to Addison Kaasch brought Basgall back to the plate with the score tied, the bases loaded and two men out. Basgall fell behind 0-2 before battling back to create an epic 13-pitch at bat. After fighting off six-straight pitches, the senior watched ball four sail out of the strike zone to give the Tigers their first walk-off win of the season.

A strong relief outing from Ryan Ruder (4-4) put the Tigers in position to come from behind and win. The sophomore tossed 5.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just four hits while striking out a pair. He faced four or fewer batters in every inning he pitched.

Ben Ramberg got the start for the Tigers, giving up a pair of extra-base hits to the first two batters before settling down to retire nine of the next 11 batters he faced. The Ichabods chased the Topeka native in the fourth after three hits and a walk, giving Ramberg a final line of 3.2 innings pitched, seven runs on seven hits and three strikeouts.

After watching the Ichabods open the game with a double, Kaasch did the same in the bottom of the first, drilling a 1-1 pitch over the center fielder’s head. The junior moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before sprinting home when Weiss sent a sharp grounder to second. The Ichabod defender chose to come home with his throw, but Kaasch slid in safely just before the tag was applied.

Fort Hays State trailed 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth before Wilkerson started another two-out rally with a triple to deep center field. The Woodbury, Minn. native came in to score when Altman reached on an error. Jason Nicholson reached on a second-straight error by the shortstop in the following plate appearance before Kaasch singled to load the bases. Basgall picked up his first RBI of the day when he was hit by a pitch, putting the Tigers within 7-3 after four innings.

Basgall finished the afternoon with two RBI and a run after going 1-for-2 with a walk and two HBP. Kaasch, Altman and Grasser all collected two hits in the win, with Altman adding two RBI and Wilkerson scoring twice.

The Tigers will look to win three-straight games for the first time since the first three games of the season Thursday (April 5) when FHSU hosts William Jewell at noon from Larks Park.

NEW ORLEANS – After a strong showing at their lone home meet of the season, the Fort Hays State women’s track and field team improved one place from their previous ranking in the latest USTFCCCA Coaches’ poll released Tuesday (April 3). The Tigers captured 71.84 points in the latest edition to slide up one spot from last week’s ranking at No. 12.

FHSU’s 71.84 total points were tabulated from the computer-based system within the poll. The Tigers are one of only just two MIAA programs who received a mention in the rankings alongside just No. 3 Pittsburg State.

At the Alex Francis Classic this past Friday, the Tigers earned seven provisional marks. Kelly Wycoff led the way with two provisional marks in both her 200-meter (24.33) and 100-meter (11.69). Amber Forbes claimed first place in the 100-meter to earn her provisional at 11.65.

In track events, Selam Ball earned her provisional after vaulting 12 feet, 3 ¼ inches, to take first in her event, while Rohey Singhateh claimed the top spot in the long jump at 18 feet, 5 ¾ inches. Madison Wolf continues to dominate the javelin as she earned a provisional at 148 feet, 3 inches.

Below are the latest USTFCCCA rankings.

Rank Institution Points
1 West Texas 170.39
2 Angelo State 146.52
3 Pittsburg State 132.90
4 SF State 118.72
5 Alaska Anchorage 113.20
6 Azusa Pacific 112.31
7 Grand Valley State 95.54
8 UC-Colorado Springs 84.05
9 Fresno State 82.54
10 Missouri Southern 72.20
11 Fort Hays State 71.84
12 Saint Augustine’s 67.53
13 Texas A&M-Commerce 65.75
14 New Mexico Highlands 61.71
15 Concordia (Ore.) 61.06
16 Walsh 59.45
17 Wayne State (Neb.) 59.38
18 Cal State LA 58.74
19 Cal State San Marcos 57.71
20 Colorado Mines 56.40
21 Chico State 55.14
22 Academy of Art 53.08
23 Ashland 52.13
24 UC San Diego 49.02
25 Simon Fraser 48.69

Click below to listen to Tiger Talk with the “Voice of the Tigers” Gerard Wellbrock and Fort Hays State softball coach Adrian Pilkington and baseball coach Steve Johnson.

Tiger Talk airs on Monday evening at 6 p.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.

EMPORIA, Kan. – A ninth-inning rally came up just short for the Fort Hays State baseball team Thursday evening (March 29) against Emporia State, falling 7-5. The Tigers fell behind 5-0 before rallying for five runs in the final two innings, but a two-run home run for the Hornets in the eighth inning made all the difference.

The Tigers dip to 11-20 overall and 3-14 in MIAA play while the Hornets are now 16-12 on the year and 7-8 in league action.

Fort Hays State struggled offensively against Hornet starter Seth Holman, collecting just four hits over the first eight innings. After Emporia State took a 5-0 lead by the fifth inning, the Tigers pushed across their first run in the top of the eighth after Marcus Altman led off with a double down the left field line. After moving to third on a groundout, the sophomore came in to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of Jason Nicholson.

The Hornets stretched the lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the eighth when Bryce Fischer lifted a two-run home run over the fence in right. Down to their final three outs, the Tigers took advantage when ESU went to the bullpen in the top of the ninth.

Alex Weiss led things off with a double to right before Ryan Grasser worked a walk two batters later. Jordan Wilkerson helped the Tigers close within 7-2 with a single to right center, plating Weiss. After a passed ball allowed Wilkerson and Grasser to move up one base, the pair came around to score when Bryce Baumwart pushed a single down the right field line. Marcus Altman followed with a third-consecutive single, forcing the Hornets to make another pitching change.

Bryce Whitchurch kept things rolling with a single through the right side, scoring Baumwart and helping the Tigers close within two with just one out, 7-5. After a strikeout it came down to the Tigers’ best hitter in Addison Kaasch. The junior sent a liner toward right field, but the first baseman swiped it out of the air to bring the game to a close.

Ben Ramberg (2-4) took the loss after allowing five runs over 4.2 innings of work, striking out four and allowing six hits. Roger Kruse came on retire all but one hitter he faced, giving up just one hit through two scoreless innings.

Weiss finished the day 3-for-4 with a double and one run scored, while Altman was 2-for-4 with a run.

The Tigers will look to even the series on Friday (March 30) when the teams battle in game two at 5 p.m. in Emporia.

JOPLIN, Mo. – Fort Hays State dropped both games of a conference doubleheader to Missouri Southern on Thursday (Mar. 29). The Lions won by scores of 6-1 and 3-1 as the games took place at Joplin High School. FHSU slipped to 9-27 overall, 5-9 in the MIAA, while MSSU ran its win streak to six games and pushed its record to 18-20 overall, 5-7 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Missouri Southern 6, Fort Hays State 1

The Tigers left 10 runners on base in a 6-1 loss to the Lions in the first contest of the day. The only run for the Tigers occurred in the second inning when they benefitted from a pair of Lion errors before Sara Breckbill scored on a wild pitch from third. That tied the game 1-1.

Missouri Southern pitcher Natalie Hamm was effectively wild to earn the win. She allowed six free passes to the Tigers, but was able to strike out 10. The Tigers struggled at the plate, scratching out only two hits. Grace Philop led off the game with a single and Terran Caldwell had a single to lead off the seventh inning.

Missouri Southern, on the other hand, was able to capitalize on location struggles from FHSU starting pitcher Sierra Rodriguez. A bases loaded walk plated the Lions’ first run of the game in the first. In the third, a free pass eventually led to a two-out, two-run double that gave MSSU a 3-1 lead.

While trailing, the Tigers elected to sacrifice bunt three times with one out and came up empty as the next batter recorded the final out of the inning each time. The Tigers left six base runners in scoring position for the game.

Missouri Southern opened up its lead to 6-1 with three runs in the fourth inning, thanks to five consecutive hits to open the inning.

Rodriguez took the loss in 3.0 innings of work. She allowed a pair of singles to open up the fourth before handing the ball to Megan Jamison in relief. Rodriguez finished with five runs allowed on seven hits and four walks with one strikeout. Jamison went on to allow one run in 2.0 innings of work, giving up five hits with a strikeout. Carrie Clarke also threw an inning, working a scoreless sixth inning with a strikeout.

Game 2: Missouri Southern 3, Fort Hays State 1

Runners left on base turned into an issue once again for the Tigers in the second contest of the day. FHSU took an early 1-0 lead with a two-out bases loaded walk drawn by Sara Breckbill in the first inning, but struggled in every potential run scoring opportunity thereafter. FHSU stranded eight runners on base in the 3-1 loss to MSSU.

After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, the Tigers saw baserunners reach scoring position in four of the following six innings. In three of those four situations, the Tigers had runners in scoring position with less than two outs, yet could not come up with timely hitting.

Erika Lutgen went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Lions and drove in all three of their runs. In the third inning, she drove in the game-tying run with a single up the middle. Two innings later, she plated two runs with two outs again on a single to center field to give MSSU the lead.

Tiger pitcher Hailey Chapman threw a complete game for FHSU allowing eight hits with a walk, while striking out six. Taurean Guzman picked up a complete-game win for the Lions, allowing six hits and two walks.

Fort Hays State looks to bounce back on Friday at Pittsburg State in a doubleheader beginning at 2 pm.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After picking up her second-consecutive top-10 finish, Hannah Perkins has been named MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Week, announced Wednesday (March 28) by the league office. It is the fourth time in her career that Perkins has earned the honor.

The junior finished in a tie for fourth at the Rockhurst Invitational at Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kan. Battling brutal conditions, Perkins fired rounds of 81 and 82 to finish with a two-round total of 163, one shot back of third. It was her second top-10 finish this spring and her third of the season. A native of Wichita, Perkins helped the Tigers to a fourth-place finish in the event.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the midweek clash with Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday (Mar. 27), 7-0. The Tigers dipped to 11-19 overall and 3-14 in the MIAA, while the Lopers moved to 17-11 on the season and 10-4 in conference play.

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tiger bats were stymied by the Lopers pitching staff as FHSU was shutout for just the second time this season. The Tigers were outhit in the contest, 14-6. Although the Tigers accumulated six hits on the evening, not one was able to plate a base runner with the Tigers stranding seven men on base.

Loper starter, Alex Achtermann, shut down the Tigers as he completed 8.0 innings, not allowing a single run and only four hits. The Tigers were fanned eight times, six to Achtermann. The Lopers took a 2-0 lead in the second inning with an two-RBI double down the left field line allowed both runners on base to cross home plate.

On a day where hits were scarce, Addison Kaasch provided one-third of them in a 2-for-4 outing at the plate, including one of two extra base hits for the Tigers. Dayton Pomeroy was the other Tiger to step on multiple bags with his double in the home half of the third inning.

Alex Ruxlow (0-3) was charged with the loss for FHSU as he threw one of his best outings of the season going 5.0 innings of work, giving up two runs on five hits and recording five punch outs.

The Tigers are back in action this weekend when they travel to Emporia, Kan. to take on the Hornets of Emporia State starting on Thursday (Mar. 29-31). First pitch from Trusler Sports Complex for Game 1 is set for 6 p.m.

SALINA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team captured a fifth-place finish at the Kansas Wesleyan Spring Invite on Tuesday (Mar. 27), hosted by Kansas Wesleyan at the Salina Country Club, a 6,133, par-70 golf course.

Junior Mac McNish finished the week in a tie for 14th individually posting a total score of 148 (+8) after firing rounds of 77 and 71. Lane Pauls finished second on the squad with a tie for 19th overall after shooting a score of 150 (+10) with identical rounds of 75.

Connor Schultz scored similar rounds of 76 for both days and Seve Sites posted a 71 on Monday while shooting an 81 on Tuesday, both finishing in a tie for 24th individually. Isaiah Grover posted rounds of 76 and 86 for the week.

Park University took home the team title with an aggregate score of 573. Kansas Wesleyan placed second after finish one shot behind (574) and William Penn (577) placed third. Fort Hays State posted team scores of 298 and 303 on their way to a total of 601. Zachary Chegwidden of William Penn captured the individual title with a 3-under par (137) score for the tournament.

WICHITA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State women’s golf team captured a fourth-place finish at the Rockhurst Invitational (Mar. 26-27), hosted at Crestview Country Club, a 5,890-yard par-72 course. The Tigers shot rounds of 331 and 343 to finish 98-over par (674) for the tournament.

Junior Hannah Perkins led Fort Hays State as she earned her second consecutive top-ten finish in a tie for fourth individually. She posted rounds of 81 and 82 to finish 19-over par (163) for the tournament.

Taylor DeBoer tied for 15th individually with rounds of 81 and 88. Freshman Katie Brungardt shot identical rounds of 86 on her way to a tie for 16th. Kylie McCarthy shot rounds of 91 and 87.

William Jewell College took home the team title, shooting 81-over par (657). Drury finished runner-up with rounds of 332 and 331 (663), while Missouri S&T claimed third with a 670. Alex Trask of William Jewell College captured the individual crown with a 9-over par score (153) for the tournament.

The Tigers will take a week off before traveling to Springfield, Mo. to compete in the Central Region Spring Preview, hosted by Missouri Southern at the Rivergut Golf Course (Apr. 9-10).

NEW ORLEANS – With the Alex Francis Classic on the horizon, the Fort Hays State women’s track and field team will head into the meet ranked No. 12 in the latest USTFCCCA Coaches’ Poll released Tuesday (March 27). The Tigers captured 68.32 points in the newest edition, but dropped three spots from their previous No. 9 preseason ranking.

FHSU’s 68.32 points were tabulated from the computer-based system within the poll. The Tigers are one three MIAA programs mentioned in the latest rankings, alongside No. 7 Missouri Southern and No. 22 Pittsburg State.

Fort Hays State has taken the past week off from competition due to Spring Break. However, the Alex Francis home meet hopes to put forth a strong showing for the squad. Already on the season, Madison Wolf has claimed the top performance in Division II in the javelin, with her throw of 167 feet, 3 inches. This throw automatically qualified Wolf for the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships in May. Alexcia Deutscher earned a provisional with her javelin throw of 157 feet, 9 inches, while Rohey Singhateh also achieved a provisional mark in the long jump at 19 feet, 2 ¾ inches.

Below are the latest USTFCCCA rankings.

Rank Institution Points
1 SF State 159.62
2 West Texas A&M 149.22
3 Angelo State 136.97
4 Fresno State 103.24
5 UC-Colorado Springs 100.68
6 Saint Augustine’s 96.40
7 Missouri Southern 91.71
8 Azusa Pacific 89.50
9 Cal State LA 74.72
10 Concordia (Ore.) 72.82
11 Texas A&M-Commerce 72.69
12 Fort Hays State 68.32
13 Central Washington 67.96
14 Wayne State (Neb.) 63.71
15 Ashland 62.04
16 UC San Diego 61.05
17 Academy of Art 54.28
18 Alabama-Huntsville 51.61
19 Alaska Anchorage 51.26
20 Saint Leo 51.18
21 Western Washington 49.40
22 Pittsburg State 49.20
23 Point Loma Nazarene 49.06
24 Harding 48.86
25 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 48.83

Click below to listen to Tiger Talk with the “Voice of the Tigers” Gerard Wellbrock and Fort Hays State softball coach Adrian Pilkington and baseball coach Steve Johnson.

Tiger Talk airs on Monday evening at 6 p.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team began their spring season with a sixth-place finish at the Bob Writz Invitational (Mar. 24-25), hosted by Colorado School of Mines at Bear Creek Golf Course, a 7,276-yard par-72 course.

Senior Skyler Tebo (78-81) led the Tigers for the week, posting a total score of 159 (15-over par) and a tied for 34th. Connor Schultz finished second on the team after firing rounds of 82 and 79 over the weekend. Schultz captured a solo 37th finish individually.

Seve Sites finished in a tie for 44th overall with rounds of 82 and 84. Lane Pauls captured a solo 47th place finish with rounds of 84 and 83. Mac McNish shot rounds of 89 and 79.

Colorado School of Mines took home the team title with an aggregate score of 590. Colorado Christian placed second as a team with a score of 604 and Nebraska-Kearney 610 place third. Fort Hays State had scores of 326 and 322 for a total of 648. Tim Amundson of Colorado School of Mines took home the individual crown with a 2-over par (146) score for the tournament.

The Tigers are back in action Monday and Tuesday this week (Mar. 26-27) as they compete in the Kansas Wesleyan Spring Invitational hosted at the Salina Country Club.

BOLIVAR, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team earned an 8-3 victory over Southwest Baptist in the rubber match on Sunday. The Tigers won their first conference series of the season with the victory. FHSU improves to 11-18 overall and 3-13 in MIAA play, while the Bearcats dip to 9-19 on the season and 3-13 in the conference.

SBU started the game out on a good note with a run in the home half of the first inning. FHSU fired back with a run in the third on a passed ball, allowing Bryce Baumwart to come around and score.

The Tigers picked up four runs in the next inning after Baumwart singled through the left side, scoring Dayton Pomeroy from third. The Tigers added another run on the very next batter when Dawson Sramek reached on a fielding error, allowing Ryan Grasser to cross home plate. The Tigers were not done in the inning, however, when Addison Kaasch drew a bases-loaded walk. Alex Weiss then ripped an RBI single through the right side, scoring Sramek and topping off a four run frame for the Tigers.

SBU countered with a pair of runs in the home half of the fourth inning, cutting into the FHSU lead, this time 5-3. The Tigers added another run in the fifth when Baumwart hit a fly ball deep enough into left field, giving Cody Starkel enough time to tag up at third and make it home.

The Tigers scored a couple more runs in the ninth to seal the deal when Starkel blasted a solo shot for his fourth long ball of the season. Sramek earned his second RBI of the contest with a sac fly to center, scoring Grasser from third base. Sam Capps shut the door in the ninth after inducing two fly outs and a groundout in the process.

Baumwart put together a 2-for-4 career day with two runs and two RBI in the contest. Starkel produced two hits in five at-bats, with a double and his solo home run.

Ryan Ruder allowed three runs on nine hits, while striking out three batters in 4.2 innings of work. Cody Rottinghaus (2-0) picked up the victory after not allowing a Bearcat to cross home in 3.0 frames. Capps earned his fourth save of the season, shutting down the Bearcats with a four-out save.

The Tigers are back in action Tuesday when they come back home for a midweek clash with rival Nebraska-Kearney. First pitch against the Lopers is set for 6 p.m. and can be heard on KAYS (1400-AM).