FHSU Sports Information

No. 14 Fort Hays State Softball went 1-2 in the final day of action at the Minnesota Duluth Invitational on Monday, defeating Minot State, 2-1, before falling to UMD twice, 4-2 in a continuation of Sunday’s game (suspended due to time constraints) and 11-1 (5 innings).

All told, the Tigers went 2-3 overall at the Invitational and are now 9-4 on the season.

FHSU returns to the field this weekend, Feb. 28-March 2 at the Teri Mathis Tournament in Joplin, Mo., hosted by Missouri Southern.  FHSU will take on four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams – Northern State, Winona State, Sioux Falls and Upper Iowa – at the tournament, as well as No. 11 Missouri-St. Louis in a rematch from earlier this season.

A complete recap of Monday’s game is below…

Fort Hays State 2, Minot State 1
FHSU’s Kelsey Kimminau threw a complete game with seven strikeouts, allowing just one run on four hits.  Kimminau improved to 3-1 with the effort.

At the plate, FHSU’s Danie Brinkmann and Tori Beltz were 1-for-3, with Brinkmann driving in one of the two Tiger runs on the day.  Amy Dunn (1-for-2) had the Tigers’ other RBI in addition to drawing a walk.

In the top of the second, FHSU manufactured a run on two hits to take a 1-0 lead.  Beltz led off the inning with a single down the right field line before Kelli Koehler entered to pinch run.  During Courtney Dobson’s at-bat, Koehler stole second and moved to third on Dobson’s ground out.  Later in the inning, Dunn’s single to center field scored Koehler and gave Dunn her first RBI of the season.

Fort Hays State added to its lead in the fifth, starting with a lead-off walk from Dunn.  After reaching second on Kellsi Olsen’s bunt single, Dunn was tagged at third as Bianca Adame reached on a fielder’s choice. Rilee Krier’s single loaded the bases, and Brinkmann followed with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Olsen.

Minot answered with one of its own in the fifth as Alyssa Cornejo hit a solo home run, but that was as close as the Beavers would come.

Minnesota-Duluth 4, Fort Hays State 2 (continuation from Sunday)
FHSU’s second game of the day was a continuation of yesterday’s matchup with Minnesota Duluth after the game was called due to time constraints in the facility.  FHSU trailed, 3-2, at the time the game was called (five innings completed), and the final two innings were played today (Feb. 24).  After the dust settled, FHSU fell in a back-and-forth game, 4-2.

Paxton Duran (5-1) took her first loss of the season, throwing four innings and allowing three runs on three hits.  Duran struck out three batters as well.  In relief, Katlyn Kern threw the final two innings, giving up five hits but allowing just one run.  Kern struck out two.

Offensively, Strand finished 2-for-3 with a home run, while Adame went 2-for-3 with a run.  Krier had an RBI as well.

Adame led off the game with a double to left field and then scored on Krier’s single up the middle, giving FHSU a 1-0 lead in the first.
UMD answered with a run of its own in the first, as Sami Schnyder came home on Megan Mullen’s RBI ground-rule double.

In the third, UMD took a 2-1 lead as Ashley Schilling came home on Jordan Rice’s double down the left field line.

That lead was short lived, however, as Strand took a pitch over the fence in left center for her second home run of the season, tying it 2-2.

UMD took the lead for good in the fifth on Schilling’s lead-off home run.  The game would be called at that point due to time constraints, but continued on Monday morning.

The Bulldogs added one more run in the sixth, using four hits and an FHSU error to take a 4-2 lead.  Krier caught a line drive from Rice to start a double play that ended the inning with runners on second and third.

In the top of the seventh, down two, FHSU put runners on second and third with two outs, but fell just short of a comeback.

Minnesota-Duluth 11, Fort Hays State 1 (5 innings)
Fort Hays State struggled in the final matchup of the UMD Invitational, falling to the host squad 11-1 in five innings.

Duran (5-2) took the loss, throwing 3.1 innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits.  Duran struck out four before Jordan Jones replaced her.  Jones threw 1.1 innings, giving up three runs (none earned) on two hits.  Cochran entered the game in the fifth and was credited with three runs (none earned) on two hits.

Olsen led the team with a 2-for-2  performance at the plate, while Brinkmann, Beltz and Vaupel each had doubles.

The Tigers’ lone run came in the third inning, when down 2-0, Olsen led off the inning with a single before moving to second as Brinkmann was hit by a pitch.  With two outs, Beltz’s ground rule double pushed Olsen home and pulled the Tigers within one.

That was it, however, for FHSU, as UMD scored in each of the final three innings, including six runs in the fifth to invoke a run-rule.

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State Wrestling fell three spots to No. 15 in the latest version of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll, released Monday (Feb. 24). FHSU received 60 points, down five from the previous rankings.

The Tigers finished fourth at the MIAA Championships on Feb. 16, and had one individual champion – C.J. Napier at 141 pounds. Other MIAA teams listed in the rankings are No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney (which won the MIAA Championship), No. 4 Central Oklahoma and No. 8 Lindenwood.

Napier is one of two Tiger wrestlers ranked individually, joining 197-pounder Tanner Kriss. Napier is fourth in his weight class while Kriss is seventh.

FHSU competes at the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional in Edmond, Okla., on Feb. 28-March 1. The top five place-winners from each weight class earn a trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio on March 14-15.

The complete team rankings for Feb. 24 are below…

Rank	Team	Points	Last
1	Notre Dame (Ohio)	158	1st
2	Nebraska-Kearney	151	2nd
3	St. Cloud State (Minn.)	146	3rd
4	Central Oklahoma	133	5th
5	Newberry (S.C.)	130	4th
6	Upper Iowa	114	6th
7	Mercyhurst (Pa.)	99	9th
8	Lindenwood (Mo.)	74	7th
9	McKendree (Ill.)	73	14th
10	California Baptist	72	11th
11	Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)	71	15th
12	Western State (Colo.)	68	10th
13	Maryville (Mo.)	62	16th
14	Indianapolis (Ind.)	61	13th
15	Fort Hays State (Kan.)	60	12th
16	Kutztown (Pa.)	49	9th
17	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	31	20th
18	Colorado Mesa	34	17th
19	Ashland (Ohio)	19	NR
20	San Francisco State (Calif.)	15	NR

Others receiving votes: Adams State (Colo.), Augustana (S.D.), East Stroudsburg (Pa.), Gannon (Pa.), Lake Erie (Ohio), North Carolina-Pembroke.

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State fell in the final game of a four-game series with Pittsburg State at Larks Park by a score of 7-3 on Sunday (Feb. 23). The teams split the four-game series and both teams are now 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the MIAA.

The Tigers never surrendered a big inning to the Gorillas, but PSU put up single runs third, fourth, fifth before FHSU answered with its first run in the bottom of the fifth. Both teams tallied one run in the sixth, making it 4-2 in favor of PSU heading into the final three innings. Once again in the eighth, the teams put up one run each, keeping the spread at two, but the Gorillas had a two-run home run by Kyle Dickens in the ninth to seal the win. Dickens finished with two home runs in the game, tallying three RBI.

Gabe Cook scored the first run for FHSU in the fifth on a wild pitch, but the Tigers stranded two runners in the inning. A Horace Johnson double in the sixth led to a Kodie Fewin RBI single, but the Tigers once again left two aboard in the inning. Kevin Czarnecki provided the final run for FHSU in the eighth with a solo home run to lead off the inning, but the Tigers could not push across Cook who followed with a double.

Nathan Zimmerman took the loss on the mound for FHSU, going 4.1 innings. He surrendered three runs on five hits with three walks, while recording two strikeouts. Alex Cox pitched two innings and his only run allowed was unearned. He struck out one batter. Austin Zimmerman pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk with one strikeout.

Cort Lesmeister was the winning pitcher for Pittsburg State, going 6.0 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Ryan McKay picked up the save for PSU, his first of the season.

Fort Hays State heads to Missouri Southern next weekend for another four-game MIAA series.

FHSU Sports Information

No. 14 Fort Hays State split its first two games of the Minnesota-Duluth Invitational on Sunday in St. Paul, Minn.  FHSU fell to the University of Mary, 5-3, before defeating Minot State in extra innings, 6-5.

The Tigers’ final game of the day (against Minnesota Duluth) will be continued tomorrow (Feb. 24) due to time constraints at the tournament facility.  The game will start prior to the originally scheduled Day 2 matchup between FHSU and UMD at 11 a.m., with action picking up in the top of the sixth.  FHSU trailed, 3-2 at the time the game was called.

The Tigers will also take on Minot State at 9am on Monday (Feb. 24) in the tournament’s final day.

A complete recap of today’s games is below…

University of Mary 5, Fort Hays State 3
Fort Hays State fell behind early and couldn’t recover, dropping a 5-3 contest to U-Mary in the first game of the Minnesota Duluth Invitational.

FHSU’s Sarah Cochran (0-1) took the loss, throwing just 0.1 innings and allowing two runs on two hits with two walks. Kelsey Kimminau threw the remainder of the game, tossing 5.2 innings with three runs earned on eight hits.  Kimminau had four strikeouts.

At the plate, Kellsi Olsen (1-for-3) had a home run, while Amanda Vaupel (1-for-3) and Kylie Strand (1-for-3) each had ground rule doubles.

U-Mary jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first two innings, scoring two runs on just one hit in the first – leaving the bases loaded – and one run on three hits in the second.

In the third, FHSU struck back to pull within two, as Olsen’s one-out solo shot cleared the center field wall.

The climb back continued for the Tigers in the fourth, started with a back-to-back walks from Danie Brinkmann and Tori Beltz.  With one out, Vaupel hit a ground-rule double to right center, scoring Kelli Koehler (who pinch ran for Brinkmann) and moving Madison Putman (who pinch ran for Beltz) to third.  Two quick outs followed, however, and the threat ended with FHSU trailing, 3-2.

U-Mary tacked on another run in the fourth, as Kristin Ormsby’s RBI double scored Alana Norman.

Down 4-2, FHSU moved back into striking distance in the sixth with another run – manufactured with two outs.  Dobson singled to center field and moved to second on Vaupel’s walk.  From there, a ground-rule double from Strand plated Dobson, but only allowed Vaupel to move to third.  After Amy Dunn walked to load the bases, U-Mary picked up a strikeout to end the rally.

The Marauders’ run in their half of the sixth put the game out of reach, sending it to final at 5-3.

Fort Hays State 6, Minot State 5 (8 innings)
Fort Hays State needed extra innings, but pulled off the comeback to defeat Minot State, 6-5, in the second game of the Minnesota-Duluth Invitational.

Paxton Duran moved to 5-0 for the season in the circle, throwing the final 7.0 innings with six strikeouts.  Duran allowed three runs on five hits in relief of Kimminau, who started the game.  Kimminau worked just one inning, allowing two runs on one hit with three walks.

Offensively, the Tigers’ Brinkmann was 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Bianca Adame finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Dobson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Minot State used a two-run home run from Katie Backes in the second to score first, taking a lead that held until the bottom of the third.

In the Tigers’ half of the second, Dobson led off with a double down the right field line.  With one out, Strand grounded out to third base, and as Dobson advanced to third base, an errant throw from Minot’s Melissa Bell allowed the Dobson to come home.

FHSU tied the game at 2-2 in the third, starting with Adame’s one-out single up the left field line.  During Rilee Krier’s at-bat, Adame stole second, and then moved to third as Krier reached on a bunt single.  Krier followed by stealing second herself, and a squeeze play from Brinkmann scored Adame.

Adame led off the fifth inning with her second single of the day, stole second and moved to third on Krier’s sacrifice bunt.  With one out, Brinkmann singled through the left side to plate Adame.

The Beavers’ regained in the lead in the sixth however, with a three-run effort.  Jordan Grant’s triple picked up two RBI, and a sacrifice fly from Rachel Burdette later scored Grant, putting Minot ahead, 5-3.

Down to its last chance, Fort Hays State started the seventh with two straight bunt singles from Adame (who stole second) and Krier, leaving runners on second and third with no outs.  Brinkmann picked up an RBI by scoring Adame on a ground ball to shortstop, but an error by Sarah Nicks (Minot) allowed Krier to cross the plate as well – knotting the game at 5-5.

With the international tie-breaker rule in effect, FHSU snagged a victory in the bottom of the eighth.  Dobson was placed on second to start the inning, and moved to third on Vaupel’s sacrifice bunt.  Two straight walks to Strand and Duran loaded the bases, and Samantha Villareal’s sacrifice fly out to right field was just deep enough to score Dobson, ending the game.

Minnesota-Duluth 3, Fort Hays State 2 after 5 innings (Game will continue at 11am Monday)
The Tigers’ final game of Day 1will be continued tomorrow (Feb. 24) due to time constraints at the tournament facility.  The game will start prior to the originally scheduled Day 2 matchup between FHSU and UMD at 11 a.m., with action picking up in the top of the sixth.  FHSU trailed, 3-2 at the time the game was called.  The Tigers will bat first as they are the away team in the contest.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Jake Stoppel scored a career-high 18 points and Craig Nicholson added 17, hitting some key free throws down the stretch, to lead the Fort Hays State Tigers to a 78-72 victory over Nebraska-Kearney in front of 4,184 Saturday afternoon at Gross Coliseum. The win improves the Tigers to 21-5 and 12-5 in the MIAA. The Lopers have lost two straight and fall to 12-12 and 8-9 in the conference.

The Tigers led by as many as 12 in the first half, but the Lopers answered with a 16-6 run to pull within two before FHSU settled for a 41-36 halftime lead. UNK would grab a couple of one-point leads, the last with 14:01 to play. The Tigers respond with an 11-0 run to go up 60-50 with 9:02 to play.

A Mike Detlinger 3-pointers  pulled the Lopers within one with 4:39 to play. Craig Nicholson converted on a three-point play with 1:02 to go to push the lead to five.

Both teams shot below 40-percent from the floor in the second half and both made their free throws. FHSU finished 24-of-26 from the line and UNK 27-30. The Tigers outscored the Lopers 40-22 in the paint.

Nebraska-Kearney was led in scoring by Ethan Brozek’s 20 points.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

FHSU Sports Information

Fort Hays State University split a pair of one-run games with Pittsburg State on Saturday (Feb. 22).  FHSU dropped Game 1 of the doubleheader, 8-7, before using a walk-off single from Kevin Czarnecki to take Game 2, 6-5.

Both teams are now 3-3 overall, with FHSU at 2-1 in the MIAA.  PSU is 1-2 in the conference.

The two squads will face off in the four-game series’ finale on Sunday (Feb. 23) with a 1 p.m. game at Larks Park.

A complete recap of the doubleheader is below…

Game 1: Pittsburg State 8, Fort Hays State 7
FHSU’s comeback fell short by one run in the first game of the day, as the Tigers rattled off five runs in the late innings, but fell, 8-7.

Joe Mapes (0-1) took the loss, throwing 3.1 innings and allowing eight runs (four earned) on seven hits.  In relief, Gus Strunk threw into the seventh inning, giving up just one hit while striking out three batters. Nathan Briar threw the final two outs of the game.

At the plate, Gabe Cook was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a home run, while Czarnecki finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.

The Tigers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first.  With one out, Alex King singled and stole second, moving to third on Cooper Langley’s first hit of the afternoon. Horace Johnson followed with a single of his own, pushing King home and Langley to second.  After a sacrifice fly from Czarnecki put runners on first and third with two outs, Cook took an 0-2 pitch up the middle to score Langley.

PSU struck back in the second, scoring four runs on three hits, taking advantage of an FHSU error to take the lead, 4-2.  That margin increased in the next inning, as three more Gorillas came home on a home run from Kyle Dickens.  PSU’s final run of the game came in the fourth, as Ian Robinson’s ground ball sent Derek Hackney across the plate.

Down 8-2 in the fourth, FHSU’s Cook started the comeback effort with a lead-off home run to left field.  With one out, Casey Sedbrook walked and Nick Hammeke singled, leaving runners on first and third. Clayton Garland’s single to left field scored Sedbrook and brought the Tigers to within four, 8-4.

In the fifth, Langley reached on a throwing error by Evan Thomas to start the inning, then moved to second on Johnson’s ground out.  Czarnecki picked up an RBI in the next at-bat, ripping a 1-0 pitch into center field to score Langley.  After a pitching change, James Denton reached on a catcher’s interference and Sedbrook drew a walk, loading the bases with two outs. Nick Foster, who pinch hit for Hammeke, and Garland worked two straight walks for the Tigers, scoring Czarnecki and Denton, but that was as close as FHSU could come, as a ground out ended the scoring threat.

Czarnecki would reach as far as second base in the sixth, but nothing came of it as FHSU fell in seven innings.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 6, Pittsburg State 5 (9 innings)
FHSU’s bats were quiet early in the game, as PSU’s George Brandecker struck out five in the first three innings.  After that, however, the Tigers’ bats awakened to score six runs in the final four frames for the comeback win – ending on Czarnecki’s walk-off single in the ninth.

Czarnecki accounted for five of FHSU’s six runs, racking up five RBI in a 2-for-5 performance that included a grand slam in the sixth.  King and Kodie Fewin each finished 2-for-4 on the day, with King scoring two runs. Cooper Langley (1-for-1) had two walks and one RBI.

Tyler Patty started the game for FHSU, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits.  Patty struck out one before Ty Thomas replaced him in the sixth.  Thomas threw 3.0 innings in shutdown fashion – allowing just one base runner on a hit-by-pitch. Austin Unrein (1-1) picked up the win after throwing just one pitch in the ninth inning before PSU’s Derek Hackney was caught stealing.

Down 5-0 after five innings, FHSU’s offense awoke in the sixth.  With one out, King singled to center field and moved to second as Langley was hit by a pitch.  Horace Johnson worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases – forcing a pitching change for the Gorillas.  Czarnecki shrunk the deficit to one soon after, taking a 3-1 pitch down the right field line for his first career grand slam.

FHSU manufactured another run in the seventh to tie the game.  Sedbrook saw eight pitches before drawing a lead-off walk, and moved to second on Gus Strunk’s sacrifice bunt.  Garland reached on fielder’s choice as the PSU defense attempted to tag Sedbrook out trying for third.  After a brief rundown, Sedbrook slid under the tag and the Tigers had runners on first and third in one out.  King walked to load the bases and Langley followed up with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Sedbrook.

Tied at five in the ninth, Strunk took a pitch the opposite way for a single to right field before moving to second on Garland’s sacrifice bunt.  King’s single pushed Strunk to third, then moved to second on a wild pitch during Langley’s at-bat.  In order to keep the double-play in effect, PSU intentionally walked Langley, and Johnson reached on a fielder’s choice after Strunk was forced out at home plate.  With two outs and the bases loaded, Czarnecki sliced the first pitch he saw up the middle, scoring King and sealing the comeback victory for FHSU.