Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Fort Hays State baseball team earned a split with Washburn on Tuesday (Mar. 27) in Hays. FHSU dropped game one by a score of 12-6, but held on in game two 9-6 to earn the split. FHSU is now 10-12 overall and 8-9 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Washburn 12, Fort Hays State 6

Box Score

Fort Hays State looked as if it was going to run away early with the first game. Nash Smith led off the bottom of the first with a triple, followed by a Sheldon Howell RBI single and a Mace Krol two-run homer. FHSU led 3-0 before Washburn recorded an out, but could not get more in the inning after a Washburn error, stranding two runners in scoring position.

FHSU starter Sam Thornton was cruising through three innings without allowing a run, until he finally ran into a snag in the fourth. Washburn rallied for five runs, all on two outs, and chased Thornton from the game. Thornton went 3.2 innings in his first game of the season, allowing five runs (four earned) and seven hits with one strikeout. Casey Pierce got the final out of the inning, but Washburn took a lead that it would never relinquish the rest of the way.

Nash Smith pulled the Tigers within one in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly RBI, but Washburn exploded for four more runs in the top of the fifth to lead 9-4. Pierce could not record an out in the inning before giving way to JJ Jaramillo, who pitched two innings of relief. Pierce allowed three of the four runs in the inning. Jaramillo went on to allow a total of four runs, which included one in the fifth, one in the sixth, and two in the seventh. Andy Hammeke picked up the last three outs in the seventh and was the only Tiger pitcher not charged with a run.

The Tiger offense scored only twice more after falling behind 9-4, that was in the bottom of the fifth with two runs on solo home runs by Ryan Busboom and Brandon Hoefler.

Thornton was charged with the loss. He is now 0-1. Washburn starter Eric Schmid settled in to earn the win in 5.2 innings of work. He allowed all six to FHSU.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 9, Washburn 6

Box Score

Much like game one, the Tigers got out to a hot start with three runs in the first and second innings to take a 6-0 lead. However, the Tigers would have to hold off the Ichabods in the later innings to earn the win.

Ryan Busboom triggered the scoring in the first with a two-run home run. Brandon Hoefler delivered an RBI single two batters later after a JC Ochoa double.

The long ball helped the Tigers once again in the second as Chris Santoscoy had a solo home run and two batters later, Sheldon Howell hit a two-run homer.

Washburn cut the lead in half in the fourth on a Brad Alberts three-run home run, but FHSU got one run back in the sixth on an RBI single by Nash Smith.

Washburn continued to apply pressure in the seventh with a two-run homer from Tyler Bean, but a solo home run by Mace Krol in the bottom half of the inning pushed the lead back to three for FHSU at 8-5.

Washburn had opportunity thwarted in the eighth as FHSU reliever Brett Macari worked out of a bases-loaded jam. He allowed just one run on a hit batter before getting an inning-ending groundout. An error in the inning led to the bases loaded situation, so the run was unearned.

The Tigers tacked on their final run in the eighth on an RBI single by Howell. Macari worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to preserve the Tiger win, although when he entered the game in the seventh it was not a save situation.

Kyle Leroy picked up the win in 3.1 innings of relief. He scattered four hits and struck out three, while allowing just one run. FHSU starter Nathan Zimmerman last three innings before allowing all three runs to the Ichabods in the fourth. He struck out three and allowed seven hits. Brett Macari worked the final 2.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit with three strikeouts.

Washburn starter Xavier Lewis took the loss, moving to 0-1 on the season. He allowed six runs in 1.2 innings of work.