HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped a narrow 7-6 decision against Rogers State Friday evening (March 19). Down two with two outs in the ninth, the Tigers scored one run on a Drake Angeron single, but the tying run was gunned down at the plate by Hillcat left fielder Prescott Horn to end the game. The Tigers are now 2-12 on the year and 2-8 in MIAA play, while the Hillcats move to 8-6 overall and 5-5 in conference action.
 
The Tigers led for much of the contest, scoring the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first after starting pitcher Jake Campbell escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the first. Kade Wallace led off with a single before advancing to third on a double into the left-field corner from Grant Schmidt. Corbin Truslow followed with a double that dropped between a retreating second baseman and the oncoming right fielder, driving in Wallace before Schmidt sprinted home on a sacrifice fly from Ed Scott.
 
Rogers State chipped into the lead with a single run following a two-out rally in the second, but the Tigers quickly responded with another run in the home half of the second. Angeron led off with a single before the speedy righty moved up to third following a pair of Hillcat mistakes, including an errant pick-off attempt and a wild pitch. Angeron came in to score on a sacrifice fly from Conner Kessler, pushing the Tigers back up by two, 3-1.
 
After both teams went down quietly in the third, the Hillcats tied things up at 3-3 in the fourth thanks in part to three infield singles. Fort Hays State jumped back in front in the bottom of the fourth after Schmidt and Truslow worked back-to-back walks. After advancing to third on a fielder's choice, Schmidt scampered home on a sharp liner back up the middle from Jacob Bouzide. The Tigers doubled their lead on an error off the bat of Tyler Olson, allowing Scott to score from third.
 
The Hillcats took their first lead of the game off the Tiger bullpen, scoring four runs on three hits and one error in the top of the sixth to take a 7-5 lead. The Tigers had chances to draw closer in the following innings, leaving four on base across the sixth, seventh and eighth frames. Jacob Ensz silenced the Hillcat bats down the stretch, allowing just one baserunner after the sixth inning.
 
Fort Hays State didn't go away quietly, putting together a rally in the ninth to nearly tie things up. Truslow and Scott both worked walks to lead off the inning before Bouzide bunted the pair up 90 feet. Down to the final out, Angeron dug in and swung at a 1-1 pitch, sending it rolling into left field. Pinch runner Jaxson Webb easily scored from third with Scott following close behind from second. The Hillcat right fielder cleanly gathered the ball and fired a rope home that one-hopped to the catcher. The RSU backstop corralled the ball up around his facemask and applied the tag just before Scott touched home plate, ending the game and securing a Hillcat win.
 
Campbell did not factor into the decision after allowing three runs on 11 hits and two walks over 5.0 innings of work. The redshirt-freshman struck out five batters. Brayden Smith (0-1) took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits and one walk over 0.1 innings of relief. Ensz tossed the final 3.2 innings, giving up one unearned run on two hits and zero walks while striking out three.
 
Schmidt, Bouzide and Angeron collected two hits each, helping the Tigers to 10 hits on the day. Schmidt was the lone Tiger to cross the plate multiple times, scoring two runs.
 
Hillcat leadoff hitter Christian Merriweather finished 4-for-5 with two runs and one RBI, while starter Jackson Simonsgaard (2-2) collected the win after allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and striking out five over 5.0 innings of work.
 
The Tigers and Hillcats will wrap up the series with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon inside Larks Park.