FHSU Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State freshman Hannah Perkins was named the MIAA Women’s Golf Athlete of the Week on Wednesday. Perkins was the top finisher for the Tigers at the FHSU Spring Thaw in Mesa, Ariz.

Perkins shot the only sub-80 round of the tournament for the Tigers in the second round on Tuesday. She shot 77 after carding 85 on the first day. She tied for 16th individually in the tournament.

FHSU Athletics

DENVER – Fort Hays State dropped both games of a non-conference doubleheader at Metro State University of Denver on Tuesday. The Tigers lost in walk-off fashion in game one, before falling by three in the nightcap. FHSU is now 9-14 overall on the season, while Metro State improved to 18-10.

Game 1: Metro State 3, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State tied the game twice, but fell victim to a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh in a 3-2 loss.

Metro State took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double, but the Tigers countered with a run in the second on an RBI single from Courtney Dobson. The Roadrunners grabbed the lead back, 2-1, with an RBI groundout in the third.

The Tigers had a golden opportunity to do more than tie the game in the sixth. Back-to-back doubles by Tori Beltz and Samantha Villarreal tied the game 2-2 with just one out, but the next two Tiger batters struck out to end a great opportunity to take a lead.

That proved costly as Metro State led off the seventh with a single and the runner moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Then Brooke Lovas had a seeing-eye single through the right side that scored the runner from second to end the game.

Paxton Duran took the loss for FHSU, moving to 6-8 on the season. She allowed three runs on six hits and four walks in 6.1 innings of work, while striking out six.

Hayley Fields picked up the win in relief for Metro State, moving to 11-3 on the season. She threw the last two innings, allowing one run on two hits, but struck out five.

Game 2: Metro State 5, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second, but it was short-lived as Metro State scored three in the bottom half and then a pair in the fourth to take the nightcap 5-2.

In the second inning, Kylie Strand drove in the first run of the game with a single and Madeline LaPolla followed with an RBI groundout.

A throwing error by the Tigers in the bottom of the second proved costly, as it led to unearned runs as three crossed plate for Metro State in the inning. The Roadrunners tacked on a pair of RBI singles in the fourth to grow their lead to three.

That was plenty for Metro State starter Kailey Christensen, who allowed five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Sarah Bretti worked a 1-2-3 seventh for the save.

Carrie Clarke took the loss for FHSU, going 3.1 innings. She allowed seven hits and three walks, while striking out two. Paxton Duran threw the final 2.2 innings and did not allow a hit with three strikeouts.

Fort Hays State looks to bounce back in a doubleheader at Colorado Mines on Wednesday starting at 1 pm CDT.

FHSU Athletics

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State was unable to avoid a three-game sweep by Southwest Baptist on Sunday (Mar. 13). The Bearcats defeated the Tigers 13-8, moving to 9-9 overall and 4-5 in the MIAA. The Tigers fell to 9-11 overall and 3-6 in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State fell down 6-0 before scoring its first run of the game in the third. A three-run fifth brought them within two at 6-4, but SBU countered with three runs in the sixth to push its lead back out to five. FHSU scored one in the sixth, two in the eighth, and one in the ninth, but it was not enough as the Bearcats added two in the seventh and two in the ninth.

Austin Unrein and Connor Ross each had two RBI in the game. Unrein went 3-for-6 at the plate, which included a solo home run, double, and single, just a triple shy of the cycle. Ross had a single and a double, going 2-for-5 at the dish. Caleb Cherryholmes had a three-hit game and scored a run.

Kyle Vogt took the loss, going 5.1 innings in his start. He allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Giles Fox and Unrein also pitched in relief.

The Tigers hit the road to play at Emporia State next weekend in another three-game conference series. Games are scheduled Friday through Sunday (Mar. 18-20).

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Fort Hays State couldn’t overcome a couple of cold shooting stretches and poor free throw shooting in the first half as they fall to Nebraska-Kearney 79-67 in the first round of the NCAA II Central Regional at the Sanford Pentagon. Connor Beranek scored 37 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Lopers (21-11) to the second round where they will face top-seed Augustana.

FHSU Post Game Press Conference

Game Highlights

 
Nebraska-Kearney used a 10-0 run midway through the first half to build a 10-point lead. A Kenny Enoch layup at the end of the first half pulled the Tigers (20-11) within six at halftime. UNK quickly pushed the lead to 12 early in the second half before the Tigers mounted an 11-2 run to pull within three with 9:45 to play. FHSU was within four with the ball with 6:40 to go but could get no closer. The Lopers responded with an 11-4 run to go up 11.

UNK hit 25-of-29 free throws including 16-for-16 in the second half. The Tigers went 15-of-25 from the line but were just 3-of-9 in the first half.

Craig Nicholson led Fort Hays State with 19 points while Jake Stoppel added 16 and Dom Samac 12 along with 12 rebounds.

FHSU Athletics

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State baseball dropped to 9-10 overall and 3-5 in the MIAA on Saturday (Mar. 12), when they suffered a 13-5 loss at the hands of Southwest Baptist. The Bearcats moved to 8-9 overall and also 3-5 in the MIAA.

Southwest Baptist got out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Tigers trimmed the lead to one run before the inning was over with two of their own. Austin Unrein provided a sacrifice fly RBI and Connor Ross plated Joe Mapes with an RBI single.

That was all the scoring for the next three innings as each team failed to produce any runs until the fifth. That is when SBU broke the game open as they pushed across seven runs on six hits with three walks. All seven of the Bearcat batters that reached base did so consecutively without the Tigers recording an out.

After the Bearcats increased their lead to 11-2 in the top half of the seventh, the Tigers responded with two runs. With one out, Ty Redington, Caleb Cherryholmes and Unrein all singled in a row with Unrein recording his second and third RBI of the day.

Two more runs from SBU in the top of the ninth saw the Tigers looking at a 13-4 deficit. FHSU pushed a run across on an RBI single from Alex Weiss, but nothing more as they dropped the game 13-5.

Logan Herd took the loss on the mound after lasting 4.1 innings. He allowed eight runs on nine hits, with three walks and two strikeouts. Kyle Vogt and Clayton Basgall each gave up two runs in relief and Jackson Rolfs allowed one.

The Tigers look to avoid the sweep on Sunday (Mar. 13) in the series finale at 12 pm.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State saw two wrestlers claim All-America honors at the NCAA Division II Championships on Saturday (Mar. 12) in Sioux Falls, S.D. Jon Inman (184) and Brad Little (149) each had two wins on the first day, securing the All-America status, as Inman placed fifth and Little placed eighth on Saturday.

Inman’s fifth place finish is the highest finish of his career after qualifying the previous two years. Inman found himself in the semifinals to open up day two after going 2-0 on Friday. The No. 2 wrestler at 184 pounds, Travis McKillop from Pitt-Johnstown, got out to an early lead and Inman fell to the consolation bracket by losing an 8-4 decision. After suffering another defeat at the hands of Maryville’s Nick Burghardt, Inman rebounded to claim fifth with a 12-3 major decision over Montrail Johnson of Wisconsin-Parkside. Inman finished the season at 38-4 overall.

Little finished his career at Fort Hays State with an eighth-place performance and his first All-American honor. After going 2-1 on day one, Little dropped a pair of matches Saturday to place eighth. Little finished his senior year as a Tiger with an overall record of 26-12, and rounded out his career with an impressive 109-61 record.

Little and Inman now make 11 All-Americans under head coach Chas Thompson and 37 NCAA Division II All-Americans in Fort Hays State history.