By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Fort Hays State shoots just 33-percent in the second half and was outrebounded by eight after halftime as they see their 21-game win streak snapped in a 65-59 loss at No. 10 Pittsburg State Saturday afternoon in front of 1,740 at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg. The loss drops the second-ranked Lady Tigers to 22-2 overall and 14-1 in the MIAA. The Gorillas improve to 23-3 and move within a game of the Tigers in the conference at 13-2.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Fort Hays State raced out to an early 12-2 lead then rallied after Pitt State took a brief three-point lead with back-to-back 3-pointers from Chelsea Mason and Jill Faxon to take the lead back and led by five at the half.

The Lady Tigers built the lead back to 10 in the second half, but the Gorillas use a 12-1 run to go up six with 4:02 to play and never let FHSU closer than three the rest of the way.

The Tigers shoot just 35-percent from the floor and were just 3-for-14 from beyond the arc – 1-for-6 in the second half. The Tigers hit just 16 of their 15 free throw attempts including 6-of-11 in the second half.

Pittsburg State shoots 33-percent including 3-of-15 from beyond the arc but hit 20 of their 28 free throws. Pitt outscored the Lady Tigers 14-9 on second chance points.

Kate Lehman led FHSU with 19 points and eight rebounds. Beth Bohuslavsky added 11 and Jill Faxon 10. Lizzy Jeronimous and Cathy Brugman both scored 17 to lead the Gorillas who lost by 19 in the first meeting with the Tigers three weeks prior.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State baseball fell by a score of 5-3 to Colorado Mines in the season opener on Friday at Larks Park in Hays. Colorado Mines took a 3-0 lead with back-to-back first inning home runs and held the lead the rest of the way.

The Orediggers (4-0) remained unbeaten on the season by taking advantage of a leadoff walk in the first inning. Connor Lambert followed with a line drive over the right center field wall to make it 2-0, then Nate Olinger hit a solo homer down the right field line to abruptly put the score at 3-0 without any outs recorded.

Starter Justin Hersch settled in from there for the Tigers, recording six consecutive outs before surrendering a walk at the beginning of the third inning. He worked around the free pass to record three more in a row. He also kept the Orediggers scoreless in the fourth, despite two reaching base in the inning.

Meanwhile, the Tigers pulled within a run by the end of the fourth inning. In the first inning Cooper Langley had a two-out RBI single to plate Kevin Czarnecki, who doubled the play before. In the fourth, Nick Hammeke had a two-out RBI single to plate Austin Unrein, who singled earlier in the inning. The Tigers stranded runners at second and third to end the inning, trailing 3-2.

The Tigers had an unfortunate turn of events in the fifth when Hersch could not continue the game with an injury to his leg, not allowing him to get a good push off the mound. Kyle Vogt entered in relief and got the first two batters he faced out before surrendering a solo home run to Connor Lambert, his second of the game to push the CSM lead back to two at 4-2.

Giles Fox  had a solid effort out of the bullpen for the Tigers in relief of Vogt, who allowed just the one run over 1.2 innings. Fox threw 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit and struck out five. However, one of the strikeouts was costly in the eighth inning as it came on a wild pitch and catcher Andre Vieyra’s recovery throw down to first was high, allowing a runner to come into score from second. Colorado Mines took a 5-2 lead to the ninth inning.

In the ninth, Vieyra led off with a walk and moved up to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Caleb Cherryholmes doubled in Vieyra from third, making it 5-3, but the rally came up short as Connor Ross struck out to end the game.

Hersch took the loss, lasting 4.0 innings. He allowed three runs on three hits with three walks.

Christian Rooney had a great outing on the mound in his start Colorado Mines. He lasted 7.0 innings and allowed just two runs on five hits, while striking out eight. Samuel Reed pitched the final two innings of the game for his first save of the season, allowing just one run and one hit with a strikeout.

Fort Hays State returns to action on Saturday at 1 pm when it hosts Regis University. Regis hit a walk-off two-run homer against Central Oklahoma in the ninth to win the nightcap, 12-10, at Larks Park on Friday. Regis will enter the game at 3-1 overall.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State Softball dropped two contests on opening day of the 2015 season, falling to Minnesota Duluth, 2-0, and No. 13 Missouri-St. Louis, 5-4, on Friday (Feb. 13) at the 8-State Classic.

The Tigers continue the event in Bentonville, Ark., tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 14) with games against Truman (9 a.m.) and Arkansas-Monticello (11 a.m.).  Fans can follow @fhsuathletics on Twitter for updates throughout the day.

Complete recaps of Friday’s games are below…

Minnesota Duluth 2, Fort Hays State 0
Fort Hays State put itself in position for a comeback late but couldn’t follow through, falling 2-0 in its season opener to Minnesota Duluth.

FHSU matched the Bulldogs with five hits on the afternoon, as neither team had an extra base hit and both drew two walks. Kylie Strand was 2-of-2 at the plate with a walk, while Courtney Dobson was 1-of-2 with a walk. Rilee Krier and Samantha Villarreal had the Tigers’ other hits.

In the circle, Kelsey Kimminau (0-1) took the loss despite a strong effort, tossing all seven innings with six strikeouts.  For UMD, Cayli Sadler (1-1) had nine strikeouts and also had a complete game.

UMD took an early 1-0 lead in the second when Hailey Lundquist blasted a two-out, solo home run.  That lead was extended to 2-0 in the fifth, as the Bulldogs drove home a run on Becky Smith’s single to right field.

Down to its last chance in the seventh, Fort Hays State led off the inning with back-to-back singles from Strand and Villarreal, but a double play and a strikeout ended the game.

No. 13 Missouri-St. Louis 5, Fort Hays State 4
FHSU’s  Erin Elmore led the team with a 2-for-3 performance, picking up two RBI with a double. Tory Beltz and Paxton Duran each had RBIs while going 1-of-3.

Duran (1-0) threw a complete game, striking out 10 and walking only three, though four of the eight hits were doubles.  For UMSL, Hannah Perryman was tagged early (two earned runs) and threw just into the second, but Brittni Chapman (4-0) picked up the win after limiting the damage and allowing just two runs (both unearned) over the next six innings.

Duran started the game by striking out the side, and FHSU scored its first run of the season in the bottom of the inning.  With two outs in the first, Elmore raked a stand-up double to center, rounding the bases after Beltz’s RBI single.

That lead was short lived, as UMSL answered to tie the game in the second.  Madison Zbaraschuk led off the inning with a double to center, moving to third on Hannah Wessels’ sacrifice bunt and coming home after Katie Wood singled to center.  On that same play, Jennah Perryman was thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning.

The Tigers took back the lead (2-1) in their half of the second as Strand scored her first run of the year.  After leading off with a single, Strand moved to third on Villarreal’s double and came home on a groundout from Duran.

From there, things settled down until the top of the fifth, when UMSL used a two-out rally to take a 3-2 advantage. Katie Rutledge started the flurry with a solo blast, then back-to-back hits from Alex Stupek (double) and Brianna Butler (single) brought Stupek home for the fifth combined run of the day.

Again it was the Tigers who answered to regain control in their half.  Duran reached on an error to start the inning and Krier followed with a single, putting runners on first and second with no outs.  Later on, with two down, Elmore’s single deflected off the pitcher, and though Duran reached home easily, heads-up baserunning from Krier allowed the Tigers’ left fielder to scamper home on a two-RBI play.

Within an out of clinching the win, FHSU was hurt by a walk and back-to-back doubles from UMSL that saw the Tritons take a 5-4 lead for good in the top of the seventh

Down to its last chance in the seventh, Duran led off with a stand-up double to right, moving to third on Rilee Krier’s sacrifice bunt, but two quick outs for FHSU ended the comeback.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State wrestling blazed its way to a 36-17 dual win at Adams State on Wednesday (Feb. 11) in an event that took less than 45 minutes. The 19th-ranked Tigers finished their dual campaign at 8-6 overall. Only seven matches were wrestled in the dual as Adams State was open at two weights and FHSU was open at one.

Only two of the seven matches went the full time length as bonus points were awarded at eight of 10 possible weights. Fort Hays State did have to overcome an early five-point deficit in the match, but took just a couple of matches to get their lead back.

Bradley Little started the dual at 157 pounds with a fall at 5:53 on Jacob Deguero, putting the Tigers up 6-0 out of the gate. However, Adams State countered with a tech fall and fall back-to-back to seize an 11-6 lead. Justin Samora won 15-0 over Kregg Clarke at 165 pounds and Mark Mabry got a fall at 1:59 against Jace Norduke.

Eighth-ranked Jon Inman immediately pulled the Tigers within one in the dual at 184 pounds, scoring a 15-5 major decision over Mario Garcia. Cash Drylie put the Tigers back into the lead for good with a 6-2 decision at 197 pounds over Amer Tipura. Fifth-ranked Trey Page continued his heavyweight dominance by breezing to a 17-1 tech fall over Austin Andrade, pushing the Tiger advantage to 18-11 in the dual. A pair of forfeit wins ensued for the Tigers, Adam Ludwin at 125 pounds and Garrett Jones at 133 pounds, putting the dual out of reach at 30-11.

Eighth-ranked Noah Killip put an exclamation on the big win at 141 pounds with a fall at 2:37 over JC Henderson. The Tigers decided to go open at 149 pounds and the dual ended at 36-17 in favor of FHSU.

FHSU nearly doubled its score with bonus points in the dual. FHSU won seven matches, worth a minimum of 21, but added 15 bonus points.

The Tigers now turn their focus to the MIAA Tournament on Sunday in Warrensburg, Mo., at the UCM Multipurpose Building. The tournament is set to get underway at 10 am.

FHSU Athletics

After two weeks at No. 15 in the Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Poll, Fort Hays State slipped for spots to No. 19 in the latest rankings, released Wednesday (Feb. 11). FHSU received 30 votes in the poll compared to 51 votes in the previous version.

FHSU (7-6, 3-2 MIAA) is coming off a 30-11 win over MIAA opponent Central Missouri, closing out the conference portion of its schedule. Just one regular season dual remains as well, taking place Wednesday (Feb. 11) at Adams State.

Josh Rodriguez (174), Jon Inman (184) and Trey Page (285) remained in the rankings, where they’ve been all season, while Noah Killip (141) made his debut at No. 8 after posting a 23-3 record so far this season. Rodriguez (15-4) moved up one spot to seventh, while Inman (29-5) dropped to eighth. At heavyweight, Page stayed put at No. 5 with a 37-2 record on the year.

After the Adams State dual, FHSU will turn its attention to postseason action with the MIAA Championships in Warrensburg, Mo., on Sunday (Feb. 15).

The complete Division II Wrestling Coaches Association rankings for Feb. 11 are below…

Others receiving votes: Augustana (S.D.), Central Missouri, Minnesota State-Mankato, Seton Hill (Pa.), Shorter (Ga.).

125 Pounds
1. T.J. North, Augustana (S.D.)
2. Matt Turek, Gannon (Pa.)
3. Jerry Huff, Adams State (Colo.)
4. Willie Bohince, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
5. Garrett Evans, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
6. Da’Wayne Robertson, Minnesota State-Mankato
7. Marco Tamayo, Lindenwood (Mo.)
8. Josh Kieffer, Indianapolis (Ind.)

133 Pounds
1. Daniel DeShazer, Nebraska-Kearney
2. Michael Labry, Ashland (Ohio)
3. Nate Rodriguez, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
4. Dustin Reed, Central Oklahoma
5. Mike Rhone, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
6. Blake Bosch, Minnesota State-Moorhead
7. Nick Crume, Indianapolis (Ind.)
8. Zak Hale, Anderson (S.C.)

141 Pounds
1. Josh Myers, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
2. Daniel Ownbey, North Carolina-Pembroke
3. Maurice Miller, Notre Dame (Ohio)
4. Josh Hawk, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
5. Kyle Webb, Lindenwood (Mo.)
6. Sam Hanau, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
7. Darren Wynn, McKendree (Ill.)
8. Noah Killip, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

149 Pounds
1. Keenan Hagerty, Maryville (Mo.)
2. Frank Cagnina, Central Missouri
3. Terrel Wilbourn, Lindenwood (Mo.)
4. Destin McCauley, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Cameron Throckmorton, Shippensburg (Pa.)
6. Nick Goebel, Findlay (Ohio)
7. Jeremy Landowski, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
8. Scott Bosak, Belmont Abbey (N.C.)

157 Pounds
1. Clint Poster, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
2. Jon Rivera, Notre Dame (Ohio)
3. James Martinez, Colorado Mesa
4. Jordan Rinken, Upper Iowa
5. Adam Cooling, Minnesota State-Mankato
6. Francis Mizia, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
7. Alex Abono, San Francisco State (Calif.)
8. Chase White, Nebraska-Kearney

165 Pounds
1. Chris Watson, Central Oklahoma
2. Gabe Fogarty, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
3. Nick Haferkamp, McKendree (Ill.)
4. Angelo Bortoluzzi, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
5. Cody Quinn, Minnesota State-Mankato
6. Dimitri Willis, Maryville (Mo.)
7. Tyler Reinhart, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
8. Nick Fishback, Wisconsin-Parkside

174 Pounds
1. Joey Davis, Notre Dame (Ohio)
2. Elliot Copeland, Western State (Colo.)
3. Zeb Wahle, Maryville (Mo.)
4. Terrence Zaleski, North Carolina-Pembroke
5. August Mizia, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
6. Payne Hatter, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
7. Josh Rodriguez, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
8. Jacob Begin, Southwest Minnesota

184 Pounds
1. Garrett Lineberger, Notre Dame (Ohio)
2. Dallas Smith, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
3. Terrence Smith, Shorter (Ga.)
4. Kyle Piatt, Western State (Colo.)
5. Blake Sorensen, Upper Iowa
6. John Vogt, McKendree (Ill.)
7. Nick Burghardt, Maryville (Mo.)
8. Jon Inman, Fort Hays State (Kan.)

197 Pounds
1. Romero Cotton, Nebraska-Kearney
2. Julian Smith, McKendree (Ill.)
3. Ryan Beltz, Maryville (Mo.)
4. Kenny Breaux, Lindenwood (Mo.)
5. Jayd Docken, Augustana (S.D.)
6. Sam Mangum, Western State (Colo.)
7. Huston Evans, Newberry (S.C.)
8. Andrew Reggi, San Francisco State (Calif.)

285 Pounds
1. Ziad Haddad, Kutztown (Pa.)
2. Garrett Gray, Tiffin (Ohio)
3. Austin Goergen, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4. Donnell Walker, Maryville (Mo.)
5. Trey Page, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
6. Chris Giddens, North Carolina-Pembroke
7. Cole Wilson, Southwest Minnesota
8. Jordan Passehl, Colorado Mesa