WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the series finale against No. 14 Central Missouri on Friday (March 12) by a score of 16-4. Grant Schmidt and Corbin Truslow both hit two-run home runs early in the game, but the UCM offense fought back with 12 hits to secure the win.
 
Schmidt opened the game with a long ball over the fence in left in the top of the first, driving in Kade Wallace who drew a two-out walk to start the rally. Central Missouri responded with four runs in the home half of the inning before Truslow tied things up at 4-4 with another two-run in the third. The Mules answered with two more runs in the bottom of the third before tacking on three in the fourth, two in the fifth and five in the sixth.
 
The game was delayed for one hour and 15 minutes in the top of the fifth inning due to rain, but things lightened up for play to resume around 1:45 p.m.
 
Cole Zimmerman (0-1) took the loss after allowing four runs on one hit and four walks over 0.2 innings of work. Wallace scored a pair of runs and was 1-for-3 with a walk. Garrett Stephens, Ed Scott, Tyler Olson and Drake Angeron also collected hits for the Tigers.
 
Fort Hays State will return to Larks Park next weekend (March 19-20) to host Rogers State in another MIAA series. The Tigers and Hillcats will battle in a single game Friday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. before facing off in a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon.