JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Joe Mapes had four hits and four RBIs, Caleb Cherryholmes added three hits and drove in two to lead Fort Hays State to a 12-5 win over Lincoln Friday afternoon at the LU Baseball Field. The Tigers (12-14, 5-9 MIAA) have now won three straight while the Blue Tigers (1-24, 0-15 MIAA) have lost 17 in a row.

Alex Weiss hit a three-run homer in the first inning to give the Tigers the early lead. Mapes three-run shot highlighted a five-run third which put FHSU up 8-2. Austin Unrein added a solo home run in the eighth to make it 12-3.

Kyle Vogt (2-5) allowed two runs on three hits over five innings for the win. Vogt struck out three and walked two. Jackson Rolfs pitched the final four innings.

The Tigers go for the three-game sweep Saturday afternoon.

FHSU Athletics

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Fort Hays State split a pair of conference games decided by one run on Friday afternoon at Northeastern State. Trailing 1-0 heading into the last inning, FHSU rallied for two runs in the seventh and defeated NSU 2-1 in the first game before falling in the second game 4-3 in nine innings. Paxton Duran recorded a career-high 15 strikeouts in the first game to go with her winning effort.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 2, Northeastern State 1
Facing one of the MIAA’s top pitchers in game one, the Tigers found a way to break through in the seventh in order to give Paxton Duran a win for her tremendous effort in the pitching circle.

Duran set the tone early by recording all six outs over the first two innings by strikeout, on her way to a career-high 15 strikeout performance. But the Tigers had to find a way to not let that effort go unrewarded as a solo home run allowed by Duran in the fourth was the difference in the game through six innings.

The Tiger offense stepped up in the seventh as Tori Beltz immediately tied the game with a solo home run of her own. Samantha Villarreal followed with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Duran. A grounder to the right side off the bat of Courtney Dobson pushed the runner to third, then Mackenzie Villarreal stepped up as a pinch hitter with a single to the right side to plate the second run of the inning.

Duran did not allow a baserunner in the seventh and capped the solid effort with her 15^th strikeout, a new career high, to end the game. She allowed just one run on three hits and a walk, moving to 8-10 overall on the season.

Kayce Wooldridge retired 14 consecutive Tiger batters going into the seventh until Beltz broke through with the home run. Wooldridge moved to 12-5 on the season with the loss, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts.

Game 2: Northeastern State 4, Fort Hays State 3 (9 inn.)
After both teams played to a 3-3 tie through three and a half innings, Kayce Wooldridge and Paxton Duran settled into a pitching duel once again, but this time as relievers. Both teams went scoreless for four innings before Northeastern State broke the tie with a walk-off single in the ninth inning.

Wooldridge took over in the fourth for a struggling Delaney Gray, who allowed three runs to the Tigers through 3.2 innings of work. Kylie Strand hit a game-tying double in the fourth and then Rilee Krier had a single to chase Gray from the game. Wooldridge hit a batter to load the bases, but got a ground out to end the inning.

Duran took over at the start of the fourth inning for Carrie Clarke, who threw the first three innings and allowed three runs. Duran worked a 1-2-3 fourth, but had to work around base runners in the fifth through eighth innings to keep the RiverHawks off the board. In the ninth, she could not work around a leadoff double as Jessica Boone delivered a walk-off single to end the game.

Samantha Villerreal had two RBI in the game, providing the first two runs for the Tigers in the game. She had an RBI single in the first and a solo home run in the third. She finished 3-for-4 at the plate in the game.

FHSU put runners in scoring position in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, but could not find a way to push the go-ahead run across. Duran moved to 8-11 with the loss after just one run allowed in 5.1 innings of relief. She allowed seven hits and a walk, while striking out four. Wooldridge allowed just three hits and a walk with six strikeouts, holding the Tigers scoreless in her 5.1 innings of relief.

The Tigers moved to 13-18 overall and 7-7 in the MIAA, while Northeastern State moved to 18-15 overall and 6-6 in the MIAA. FHSU finishes its road swing in Oklahoma with a doubleheader at Central Oklahoma on Saturday at 12 pm.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Freshman Logan Herd threw his first complete game and Trevor Hughes drove in four as the Fort Hays State baseball team defeated Lincoln 11-1 in a seven inning run-rule victory Thursday. Herd (2-2) allowed one run on seven hits while walking three and striking out seven. It’s FHSU’s (11-14, 5-9 MIAA) second straight complete game by a starter after D.J. Carr’s complete game Tuesday against Washburn. Lincoln (1-23, 0-14 MIAA) has now lost 16 in a row.

Hughes led the Tigers 14-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. His two-run homer in the fourth put them up 5-0. Connor Ross also homered in the five-run inning. Fort Hays State then blew the game open scoring five in the sixth.

Alex Weiss and Alex King both drove in two runs as the Tigers win their second straight.

The Tigers and Blue Tigers are back at it again on Friday for game two of the series, which is scheduled to take place at 3 pm.

Former “Voice of the Tigers” and Hays broadcaster Steve Webster is being honored by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters with the Hod Humiston Award. The award is given annually to a Kansas broadcaster who has made significant contributions to the field of sports broadcasting, and is named for Hod Humiston who was the first television sportscaster in Kansas when he did play-by-play coverage of college games for KTVH (now KWCH TV), Wichita.

Webster is a former sports director at KAYS in Hays and was the play-by-play voice of the Fort Hays State Tigers from 1989-2002. In 2002, he was named the Executive Producer for the Mid-America Sports Network and the play-by-play voice for the Kansas State women, a position he would hold until 2005. In 2005, Webster helped launch Sports Radio 1410 KGSO in Wichita and also served as the play-by-play voice of the Wichita Wranglers in 2006 before the team moved to Arkansas. In 2009, he returned to Eagle Communications where he now serves as News Director and sports reporter for Eagle Radio and Hull Broadcasting in Great Bend.

Webster began his broadcast career in 1984 at KWLS in Pratt when we was named the play-by-play voice of the Pratt High Greenbacks and Pratt Beavers. After four years in Pratt, he moved to Great Bend for two years broadcasting the Great Bend Panthers and Barton Cougars before moving on to Hays.

Webster has earned multiple awards from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters for broadcast excellence in news, sports, and special programming.  In 2010, he was inducted into the Fort Hays State University Athletics Hall-of-Fame in the contributor category.

Webster is the fourth broadcaster from KAYS in Hays to receive the Hod Humiston Award joining Bob Davis, Wyatt Thompson and Gerard Wellbrock.

Webster will receive his award during the KAB Sports Seminar in Kansas City April 21.

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS
1979    Hod Humiston  (d. 12/28/87)
1980    Dev Nelson, KKSU AM, Manhattan
1981    Max Falkenstein, Lawrence
1982    Bob Hilgendorf, Manhattan
1983    Bob Pratt, KGGF/KQQF, Coffeyville
1984    Tom Hedrick KU, KLWN/KLZR, Lawrence
1985    Bob Fromme, KC Royals Radio Network, Kansas City
1986    Ed O’Donnell  WIBW AM/FM, Topeka
1987    Bill Miller, KLEO/KZSN, Wichita
1988    Tad Felts, KKAN/KQMA, Phillipsburg
1989    Fred Conger, KWBW/KHUT, Hutchinson
1990    Kay Melia, KLOE AM, Goodland
1991    Bob Davis, KMBZ Radio, Westwood
1992    Tony Jewell,  KIUL/KWKR, Garden City
1993    Nelson Hartman, KSHSAA (retired)
1994    Ron Paradis, WIBW TV/Radio, Topeka
1995    Mitch Holthus, WIBW Radio, Voice of the K-State Wildcats, Voice of the K.C. Chiefs
1996    Bob Wells, Retired, Harris Co., Garden City now of Lawrence
1997    Dale McCoy, Jr., KKOY Am/FM, Chanute
1998    George Donley, Great Bend (posthumously, d. 1997)
1999     WIBW Radio Sports Department, Topeka
2000    Dewey Terrill, KJCK AM/FM, Junction City
2001     Rich Epp, KLBY TV, Colby
2002    Rocky Downing, KCLY/KFRM, Clay Center
2003    Cliff Shank, KGGG/KSKU/KXKU, Hutchinson
2004    Fred White, Kansas City Royals
2005    Rusty Hilst, KWBW AM, Hutchinson
2006    Gary Bateman, KOFO AM, Ottawa
2007    Bruce Haertl, KWCH TV, Wichita
2008    Randy Goering, KVGB AM-FM, Great Bend
2009    Brock Kappelmann, KSCB AM-FM, Liberal
2010    Mike Manns, KMAJ AM-FM, Topeka
2011    Wyatt Thompson, Voice of the K-State Wildcats, Manhattan
2012    Gerard Wellbrock, KAYS AM, Hays
2013    Eddie Lomshek, KKOW AM, Pittsburg
2014    Mike Kennedy, Voice of the Wichita State Shockers, Wichita
2015    Jenn Bates, KWCH TV, Wichita

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

TOPEKA, Kan. – D.J. Carr allowed one run on eight hits, throwing his second complete game of the season as Fort Hays State ends their seven-game losing streak with an 8-1 win over Washburn Tuesday afternoon at Falley Field. Carr (2-3) gave up a second inning lead off home run to David Gaunt then only allowed three runners to reach scoring position the rest of the way. The Youngstown State transfer struck out four and walked none needing only 91 pitches for his second win of the season.

Steve Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers (10-14, 4-9 MIAA) scored four in fourth to take the lead for good. They added a run in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the eighth. Alex King’s single to center scored Jace Bowman to tie the game 1-1. Nick Hammeke followed with a double to put FHSU up 2-1. Ty Redington and Caleb Cherryholmes also drove in runs to put the Tigers up 4-1.

Connor Ross had three of the Tigers 15 hits including two doubles. Redington, Cherryholmes, Bowman and King all had two hits.

FHSU Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior Paxton Duran was named MIAA/AstroTurf Softball Co-Pitcher of the Week along with Emmie Robertson of Pittsburg State on Tuesday (Mar. 22) for her efforts this past week. Duran threw in six of eight games last week and made four starts for the Tigers, which included a complete game shutout performance.

Duran posted an ERA of 1.78 for the week in 35.1 innings. She had 29 strikeouts, but went 1-3 for the week taking a pair of losses in one-run games on the road (3-2 and 1-0) and then an 11-inning loss to Lindenwood. In her final start, she tossed a nine-strikeout shutout against Lincoln for her lone win of the week. At the plate, she slugged .800 for the week and hit two home runs in a game against Lindenwood, which tied the FHSU single-game record. She drove home five runs for the week and had three extra-base hits. She recorded a save in the 26-18 win over Lindenwood, a game that saw FHSU set a new school record for runs.

Robertson went 2-1 on the week with wins over Wayne State, 13-0 (5), and Augustana, 3-0. Her one loss was to Sioux Falls. Robertson pitched two shut outs in her three appearances and gave up only three total earned runs on the week. In 19.0 innings of work, Robertson struck out 25 batters, including 12 in the loss to Sioux Falls. Of the 11 hits she gave up on the week, only three were for extra bases. Robertson finished the week with a 1.11 ERA and held opponents to a .164 batting average.