MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the opener of a three-game set with Northwest Missouri State Friday afternoon, 13-7. The Tigers led 2-0 and 3-2 in the early innings, but an 8-run fifth put the Bearcats in front for good.
The Tigers move to 10-37 overall and 3-31 in MIAA play, while the Bearcats are now 29-18 this season and 17-16 in the league.
Ty Redington opened a strong offensive day with a single to left on the second pitch of the game. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from Marcus Altman, the senior swiped third and scored on a throwing error by the Bearcat catcher.
Fort Hays State doubled the lead in the top of the second when Bryce Witchurch lifted a two-out home run to left field, his fifth home run of the season.
The Bearcats leveled the score with a flurry of hits in the bottom of the second, but the Tigers jumped back on top in the third when Redington once again led off with a single. The third baseman quickly moved to third on a balk and another sacrifice bunt from Altman before coming in to score on an RBI groundout from fellow senior Nick Hammeke.
Starter Sam Capps (2-6) mowed through the Bearcats in order in the third and fourth, but the home team again broke through in the bottom of the fifth. NWMSU scored eight runs on three runs, five walks one hit by pitch, one balk and two wild pitches. After sending 13 batters to the plate, the Bearcats found themselves in front 10-2.
The Tigers bounced right back in the top of the sixth when Hammeke led off with a single to left. Trevor Hughes followed with his team-leading eighth home run, an opposite field bomb that moved FHSU within 10-5. Northwest Missouri responded by grabbing those two runs right back, leading 12-5 after six innings of play.
Trailing 13-5 at the start of the ninth inning, the Tigers put together a rally to try and send the game to extras. Clayton Basgall led off with a single before moving to second on a base knock from Witchurch. Pinch hitter Jason Nichcolson then loaded the bases with an 0-2 single to left, turning over the lineup to the leadoff man. Redington came through with his third hit of the game, sending a single the other way to right to plate a pair. The rally would end there, however, as Bearcat reliever Jacob Wagner came on to record the final two outs.
Redington finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, giving the senior his second double-digit hitting streak of the season. Witchurch turned in a 2-for-4 day, scoring two runs and driving in another.
The Tigers and Bearcats will face off in game two Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. from Bearcat Field.
FHSU Sports Information
