DENVER – Fort Hays State dropped both games of a doubleheader at Metro State University of Denver on Tuesday evening . The Roadrunners took both games with late rallies, scoring four in the sixth inning of game one to break a tie, and then rallying with six runs in the seventh to win game two. The Tigers are now 9-19 overall on the season.

Game 1: Metro State 6, Fort Hays State 2
Carrie Clark struggled to open the first inning in the pitching circle, giving up three consecutive walks. Metro State took advantage and scored two runs to take an early 2-0 lead. From that point, Clarke settled in and threw well the remainder of the game, though a defensive mistake late in the game led to four unearned runs.

In the fifth, Bailey Kennedy laced a doubled to the right center gap to score Kylie Strand, who led off the inning with a double, and Tess Gray. That knotted the score at 2-2 and gave the Tigers new life after a shaky start to the game.

However, Kennedy had the defensive mistake in the sixth inning that led to a four-run Metro State rally. She dropped a fly ball that would have been the second out of the inning. Clarke retired the next batter so the inning should have been over with the side retired in order. Instead, Metro State strung together four straight hits to produce four runs and went on to win the game 6-2.

Clarke allowed seven hits, but did not allow another walk after her rash of walks allowed at the start of the game. She struck out one and moved to 4-4 on the year. Hayley Fields threw a complete game for the Roadrunners, moving to 8-1 on the year with seven hits allowed with one strikeout.

Game 2: Metro State 9, Fort Hays State 8
The Tigers gained complete control of the second game with a six-run first inning, only to squander it by allowing six runs to the Roadrunners in the seventh inning.

The Tigers had been struggling to score runs in several games over the past week, but finally broke out of the rut with a six-run rally in the first. Veronica Knittig started the rally with a two-run home run down the left field line. Collette West and Candace Bollig each walked and Kylie Strand singled to load the bases. Bailey Boxberger had an RBI single to make it 3-0, then Tess Gray drew a walk to force a run in and make it 4-0. Jeni Mohr capped the rally with a two-RBI single down the left field line to make it 6-0.

Metro State threatened to erase all the work done by the Tigers in the bottom of the first. Carissa Terry hit a two-run homer and the Roadrunners loaded the bases before a groundout ended the threat to leave the score at 6-2.

The Tigers extended their lead back out to six when Boxberger knocked home two more runs with another single. Metro State answered with a run in the second and a pair of walks loaded the bases again, but a lineout to first ended another threat leaving the Tigers ahead 8-3 after two innings.

After the Tigers roughed up MSUD starter Darby McGhee for eight runs, they could not find a way to get a run off reliever Cassidy Smith, who allowed seven hits over 6.0 innings. Not being able to add on runs when they had the chance came back to bite the Tigers late.

Hailey Chapman struggled with walking batters the entire game, and it finally hurt her most in the last inning. Giving up a solo home run to start the seventh seemed harmless with the Tigers still up 8-4. The next batter grounded out, but then Chapman’s eighth walk of the game triggered an enormous rally for the Roadrunners. The next batter singled and then Chapman issued her ninth walk of the game to load the bases. An error then allowed two runs to score to make it 8-6. A double made it 8-7 and put runners at second and third. Terry, who had the first-inning homer, turned into the hero for MSUD with a walk-off two-run double to right field.

Chapman took the loss allowing 11 hits and nine walks. She is now 5-11 on the season. Smith moved to 10-5 on the season with the win in relief as she struck out four batters.

FHSU Sports Information

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.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior guard Rob Davis collected his second regional honor on Monday. Davis was selected to the Central Regional NABC All-District First Team. The honor is selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC in NCAA Division II.

The first team all-district selection comes on the heels of being selected to the D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team. Davis is the first all-district selection by the NABC for FHSU since the 2013-14 season when Craig Nicholson earned first team honors as well. Dominique Jones and Dwayne Brunson are the other two former Tigers to earn this distinction.

Davis had a tremendous year for the Tigers, averaging 21.4 points per game. He became the first FHSU player to average at least 20 points per game since the 1995-96 season, when Alonzo Goldston averaged 20.4 helping lead the Tigers to an undefeated national championship. He is the first player under head coach Mark Johnson to average at least 20 per game. Davis finished the year scoring 30 or more points in a game eight times and 20 or more 17 times. He scored 1,140 points over two years with Fort Hays State, finishing 15th on the all-time scoring list.

Davis scored a career-high 42 points at Emporia State on February 1, 2017, matching the sixth-highest scoring game in Tiger history. Dennis Edwards owns the top five single-game scoring performances in Tiger history and was the last to break the 40-point barrier before Davis, doing it three times in 1995.

Davis finished the year shooting 49.9 percent from the field, making 207-of-415 attempts from the field. He shot 45.3 percent beyond the 3-point line (82-of-181) and 85.1 percent at the free-throw line (126-of-148). He added 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

For his career, Davis ranks fourth all-time in Tiger history for 3-point field goal percentage and free-throw percentage. He was very consistent in his rate of shooting from the field, hitting exactly at a .499 clip overall and .453 clip beyond the 3-point line both seasons at FHSU. His performance at the free-throw line this year improved as his career percentage settled at 82.2 percent.

Below is the 2016-17 NABC Central Region All-District Team

First Team                                                         
Gage Davis, St. Cloud State
Rob Davis, Fort Hays State                                                               
Aaron Lien, Minnesota State Moorhead
Justin Pitts, Northwest Missouri State
Braxton Reeves, East Central
Jordan Spencer, Augustana

Second Team
Ryan Bruggeman, Southwest Minnesota State
CJ Carr, Missouri Southern
Derylton Hill, Arkansas-Monticello
Tanner Kretchman, MSU Moorhead
Tyler Rudolph, Minot State

Coach of the Year: Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri State

FHSU Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its postseason awards for wrestling on Monday. Brandon Ball earned MIAA Freshman of the Year and Chas Thompson earned MIAA Coach of the Year honors.

Thompson earns his first Coach of the Year honor in the MIAA after guiding the Tigers to a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. It matched the best performance at nationals for the program under Thompson’s guidance as his 2010 national qualifiers generated the same result in the standings. It was the best performance at the championships for the program since the MIAA added wrestling a championship sport in 2012-13.

Along with the great finish at nationals, coaches took notice of Fort Hays State’s impressive youth movement this season with three freshmen qualifying for the national championships. That group included Ball, Greg Tooley, and Christian Lance. But the rock in the middle of it all providing leadership to the young Tigers was senior Jon Inman, who closed out his storied career with the top win percentage in program history. Inman finished his collegiate career at 141-28 and had an impressive 28-4 record this year to finish as the national runner-up at 197 pounds. Inman became the third two-time All-America performer at FHSU under Thompson’s guidance.

By the end of the MIAA Tournament in February, eight of the 10 weight classes saw freshmen experience varsity time in the Tiger lineup. Thompson looks to have the program in position for a bright future with all the freshmen that contributed this season.

Ball was one of Fort Hays State’s three standout freshmen. He grabs the MIAA Freshman of the Year distinction with his tremendous performances at the NCAA Super Regional and NCAA Championship. Ball finished the year at 38-8 overall after taking a redshirt last season, winning the Super Regional at 141 pounds and placing sixth at the NCAA Championships to earn All-America status. Ball is the first Tiger to earn MIAA Freshman of the Year honors since Inman earned the distinction in 2013-14.

Ball had the best win percentage (.826) of Fort Hays State’s three freshmen that qualified for nationals. Tooley finished 27-6 (.818) in the 157-pound weight class and Lance finished 44-10 (.815) in the 285-pound weight class. Tooley was the MIAA Tournament Champion this year at 157 pounds.

Here is a link to all of the MIAA Postseason Honors for the 2016-17 season…

MIAA Postseason Honors Release

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State junior sprinter Kelly Wycoff earned MIAA Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors for her efforts this past weekend at the Emporia State Spring Invitational. She currently ranks in the top 10 nationally in the 100 and 200 meters.

Wycoff hit two provisional marks at the Emporia State Spring Invitational in the 100 and 200 meters. She ran a time of 11.98 seconds in the 100 meters, which currently ranks 10th nationally for the young season. In the 200 meters, she ran 24.47 seconds, which has her ranked third in the nation among the four athletes that have produced provisional marks so far this outdoor season. Both times were personal bests.

Emily Presley of Missouri Southern earned Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors with an automatic qualifying mark in the pole vault that has her ranked first in the nation.

FHSU Sports Information

DENVER – Fort Hays State Men’s Golf finished ninth at the Bob Writz Invitational, hosted by Colorado School of Mines at Bear Creek Golf Club. After a 340 as a team on the first day, FHSU improved six strokes the second day at 334.

Results

Skyler Tebo led the Tigers both days, shooting rounds of 83 and 82 to finish in a tie for 37th. Colton Bobek matched Tebo’s second round, following up an 86 with an 82. He tied for 42nd. Dalton Ayres was one stroke back in a tie for 44th with rounds of 85 and 84. Jake Weller rounded out the scoring for the Tigers each day with two rounds of 86. Marshall Hutchins also competed and shot rounds of 90 and 86.

Colorado State-Pueblo won the tournament as a team with a total of 614. Colorado Christian was two strokes back and UC-Colorado Springs six shots back. FHSU shot 674 as a team. The individual champion of the tournament was Victor Bjorlow from the University of Colorado, playing as in individual, posting a total of 147.

FHSU Sports Information

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State dropped its final two games at the Hy-Vee Classic on Sunday. The Tigers fell by run rule to Winona State 11-3 before giving up a late lead in a 5-4 loss to Wayne State (Neb.). The Tigers moved to 9-17 overall on the season.

Winona State 11, Fort Hays State 3
Trailing 4-0 after four innings, Fort Hays State rallied in the fifth inning with three runs to cut the margin to just one. However, the ground made up by FHSU instantly vanished in the bottom half of the fifth with an untimely two-out error. A run scored on the play and then the next batter hit a three-run home run to push the Winona State lead to 8-3. The Warriors ended the game with another three-run homer in the sixth inning to trigger the run rule.

Collete West went 2-for-3 in the game for FHSU, driving in two of the team’s three runs on a single in the fifth. She also had a double in the fourth inning. The Tigers benefitted from a throwing error for their other run.

Errors were costly to the Tigers as six of the 11 runs were unearned. Carrie Clarke pitched a complete game for FHSU, allowing 12 hits and four walks, with two strikeouts. Jaida Reinen also threw a complete game for WSU, allowing five hits and a walk, with one strikeout.

Wayne State 5, Fort Hays State 4
Fort Hays State held two leads, but could not hang on in the final game of the weekend. After Wayne State took a 1-0 lead after the top of the first, the Tigers responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Wayne State knotted the score 3-3 in the fourth, but the Tigers pushed back ahead with a run in the bottom half of the inning to lead 4-3. A two-RBI single by Jordyn Breitbarth in the sixth decided the game.

Candace Bollig had two RBI, coming on a double to cap the three-run first inning for FHSU. She was 2-for-4 at the plate. Collette West was also 2-for-4, providing an RBI single in the first.  Bailey Kennedy knocked in the fourth run for FHSU with a double in the fourth, part of her 3-for-4 game at the plate. Kylie Strand was 2-for-3 and scored on Kennedy’s double.

Hailey Chapman took the loss for FHSU, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and three walks in six innings of work. She struck out three. Carrie Clarke recorded the final three outs in the seventh.

Nataliah Hopkins went 5.0 innings for the Wildcats, allowing four runs (three earned) on 11 hits. Riley Vanderveen picked up a save, throwing the final two innings and allowing just two hits with a strikeout.

The Tigers stay out on the road this coming week with a non-conference doubleheader at Metro State in Denver on Tuesday (Mar. 21). They travel to Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist for conference doubleheaders next weekend.

FHSU Sports Information

HAYS, Kan. – No. 15 Emporia State scored seven runs in the first inning and finished off a three-game series sweep of Fort Hays State, 12-0 in a seven inning run-rule game Sunday afternoon at Larks Park. The Tigers, who have lost seven straight, fall to 7-17 overall, 1-11 in the MIAA, while the Hornets improved to 19-4 overall, 8-1 in the MIAA.

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

Four walks and two errors led to the big first inning by ESU which was all Matt Slauter needed in his first start of the season. The Hornet senior allowed just two hits over four innings with five strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season.

Emporia State added a run in the second, three in the third, and one in the fifth, with only four of their runs earned. The Tigers had just four hits in the game, all spread between four players.

Sophomore Austin Liverant took the loss in his first start of the season. He allowed four runs (three earned), walking three batters with one hit while recording only one out. The Tigers used three pitchers in the first inning before Alex Ruxlow settled in with four  innings of relief, allowing five runs with only one earned.

The Tigers are back at home Tuesday against Washburn at 4 pm Larks Park. You can hear the game on KJLS with the Auto World Pregame Show at 3:40 pm.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State Softball fell twice on Saturday at the Hy-Vee Classic, hosted by Missouri Western State University. The Tigers struggled to score in both games, falling 8-0 to Augustana (S.D.) and 8-1 to Sioux Falls. The Tigers moved to 9-15 overall on the season.

Augustana 8, Fort Hays State 0
Augustana scored five runs over the first two innings and Veronica Knittig was the only Fort Hays State player to collect hits against pitcher Lexy Pederson. Knittig had singles in the first and fourth innings. Candace Bollig was the only other Tiger to reach base by walk. Augustana tacked on one run in the sixth and two in the seventh to create the final margin.

Pederson threw a two-hit complete game shutout for the Vikings, striking out five Tigers. FHSU starter Lexie Kimminau lasted just an inning and faced two batters in the second before handing the ball to Carrie Clarke. Only two of the five runs allowed by Kimminau were earned. Clarke allowed the final three runs (two earned).

Sioux Falls 8, Fort Hays State 1
The Tigers fell behind early again in the second game of the day, giving up one run in the first inning and three in the third. They struggled to solve pitcher Breanna Black, who allowed just one run on five hits and a walk with one strikeout in her complete game effort.

Candace Bollig drove home the only run for FHSU in the fourth, following a Lily Sale single to start the inning. Collette West had the only extra-base hit of the day for FHSU with a double in the seventh.

Hailey Chapman recorded all but the last two outs of the game before handing the ball to Carrie Clarke. Chapman allowed all eight runs on nine hits and two walks. She struck out one.

The Tigers play their final two games of the Hy-Vee Classic on Sunday, facing Winona State at 9 am and then Wayne State (Neb.) at 3 pm.

FHSU Sports Information

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State held a 4-2 lead through seven innings, but could not hang on as a two-out, three-run home run in the eighth lifted No. 15 ranked Emporia State past FHSU. The Hornets took the game 5-4, now with wins in the first two games of the weekend series. ESU moved to 18-4 overall, 7-1 in the MIAA, while FHSU went to 7-16 overall, 1-10 in the MIAA.

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Ryan Ruder was tremendous in his starting pitching effort against the Hornets. He limited the top hitting team in the MIAA to just two runs over six innings with just five hits allowed. He struck out four and did not allow a walk.

After Ruder had allowed a game-tying solo homer in the sixth, his offense picked him up as Nick Hammeke triggered a two-run bottom half of the inning for FHSU with a leadoff double. A sacrifice bunt moved Hammeke to third, then Dayton Pomeroy drove him home with a sacrifice fly to give the Tigers the lead back at 3-2. Clayton Basgall followed with a single and Trevor Hughes shot a ball to the left-center field gap to score Basgall, putting the Tigers up 4-2.

Sam Capps came on in relief of Ruder to begin the seventh. He worked around a walk in the seventh to escape damage, but the big blow of the game came in the eighth. With two on and two outs, Daniel LaMunyon drove a pitch from Capps over the left field wall and instantly vaulted the Hornets into the lead 5-4.

Taylor Thompson, who entered in relief for the Hornets to end the Tiger rally in the sixth, pitched two scoreless innings to set up a save opportunity for Nathan Whitcomb. Though he allowed two hits, Whitcomb recorded his fifth save of the season, while striking out two. Thompson moved to 3-0 on the season.

Capps took the loss in three innings of relief for FHSU. He allowed four hits and a walk, while striking out four. He moved to 1-2 on the year.

Emporia State never led in the game until the LaMunyon homer in the eighth. FHSU held a 2-0 lead after a pair of runs in the second on a wild pitch and Marcus Altman RBI single. ESU cut the lead in half with a run in the fourth before tying it with the solo homer in the sixth.

The teams play the final game of the three-game weekend series on Sunday at 12 pm. You can hear it on Tiger Radio Mix-103 https://www.hayspost.com/tiger-radio/ with the Auto World Pregame Show at 11:40 am.

FHSU Sports Information

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State dropped the first game of a three-game weekend series on Friday to 15th-ranked Emporia State by a score of 15-1. The run-rule ended the game after the eighth inning. ESU improved to 17-4 overall, 6-1 in the MIAA, while FHSU went to 7-15 overall, 1-9 in the MIAA.

Tiger starting pitcher Ben Ramberg fought control issues throughout the game and managed to escape the first two innings unharmed after walking four batters in that span. However, he could not avoid damage in the third as two more walks led to three runs in the inning. The Tigers looked as though they were going to allow just one run in the inning, but a throwing error by catcher Trevor Hughes after a swinging strike in the dirt led to two unearned runs. ESU led 3-0 after three innings.

Ramberg ran out of gas in the fifth due to a high pitch count. BJ Dean hit a two-run homer for ESU to make it 5-1 and then a single chased Ramberg from the hill and the Tigers went on to use five relievers in the game. Ramberg’s final line had six runs allowed (four earned) on five hits and seven walks. But, he was effectively wild in the game and struck out six. The Hornets went on to score six runs in the fifth to take a commanding 9-1 lead. They tacked on a run in the seventh and then five in the eighth to make the final margin of 14 runs.

Fort Hays State’s only run came in the fourth on a balk with runners at first and third. Clayton Basgall came in to score on the pitcher’s mistake.

Seth Holman threw six strong innings for ESU, allowing one run on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. He is now 5-1 on the season.

The Tigers and Hornets meet in the second game of the series on Saturday at 1 pm.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State Softball split its first two games at the MWSU Hy-Vee Classic on Friday. The Tigers fell to Upper Iowa in the first game 6-1 before taking their second game of the day 1-0 over University of Mary. The Tigers moved to 9-13 overall on the season.

Upper Iowa 6, Fort Hays State 1
Upper Iowa picked up single runs in the first, third, and fifth innings to take a 3-0 lead and Fort Hays State’s bats struggled against pitcher Emily Kisch. The Tigers had just two hits through the first five innings and collected two more in the sixth inning when they generated their only run of the game.

Lily Sale and Bailey Kennedy executed a double steal for the only Tiger run. Kennedy led off the sixth with a double and moved to third on a bunt single by Sale. That set up the double steal situation at first and third as the Tigers cut the Peacock lead to 3-1.

Upper Iowa interrupted the potential comeback with three runs in the top of the seventh. All came on a two-out rally with the bases loaded. Sammy Garrett and Erin Drahozal each had two RBI in the game for Upper Iowa.

Kisch threw a complete game for the Peacocks, allowing just four hits and a walk in her complete game effort. She struck out six batters. Hailey Chapman registered a season-high 10 strikeouts in the loss for FHSU, despite allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and three walks. She is now 5-8.

Fort Hays State 1, Mary 0
Fort Hays State scored a run in the second and it was enough for Carrie Clarke who threw her first complete game shutout of the season. Clarke allowed just five hits and struck out one to move to 4-2 on the season.

Collette West’s first RBI of the season was the game decider in the second inning. She drove home Candace Bollig, who led off the inning with a single.

Taylor Lara threw all six innings for Mary, allowing just four hits and two walks. She struck out one, but took the loss and moved to 2-7 overall.