FHSU Sports Information Department
KEARNEY, Neb. – Fort Hays State led twice, including a one-run lead heading to the bottom of the eighth, but Nebraska-Kearney rallied for single runs in the eighth and ninth to defeat FHSU 12-11. Nebraska-Kearney improved to 17-21 overall, 14-15 in the MIAA, while FHSU fell to 17-23 overall and 11-18 in the MIAA seeing its losing skid grow to six games.
The Tigers held the early advantage, scoring a run in the first and second to go up 2-0. But the Lopers tied the game with two in the bottom of the second and took a 4-2 lead with two more in the third. Each team scored once in the fifth, then UNK scored twice in the sixth to lead 7-3 heading to the last three innings.
The Tiger offense came alive to open the seventh with three straight singles to load the bases. Alex Weiss drew a bases loaded walk to plate one run, then Joe Mapes singled to plate another making it 7-5 still with no outs. Austin Unrein came in to score on a passed ball and Caleb Cherryholmes hit a sacrifice fly to get the game tied 7-7. However, UNK loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the inning as well and came away with three runs to make it 10-7.
The Tigers fought back once more with four more runs in the eighth, taking their first lead since the second inning at 11-10. A Connor Ross triple set up an RBI groundout by Nick Hammeke to make it 10-8. Then UNK pitching ran into control problems, giving up two straight walks, two straight hit batters, and two more walks consecutively to plate three runs for FHSU. Cherryholmes was the batter that was plunked the second time, which forced in a run to make it 10-9. Then Trevor Hughes and Alex King each drew the final two walks to give FHSU the lead.
The Tigers were just a strike away from escaping with the 11-10 lead in the eighth, but a wild pitch from Unrein allowed the tying run to come in from third with two outs. In the top of the ninth, Unrein got to third base as a runner by stealing second and taking third on an overthrow by the catcher. But a groundout ended the threat.
The Lopers won the game in the ninth without an out recorded. They drew a walk, then a dropped ball at first base put runners at second and third. A hit batter loaded the bases and then Unrein struggled to find the strike zone against the final batter, walking in the winning run. He took the loss in 1.2 innings of relief.
Kyle Vogt went 1.1 innings in the start, allowing two runs. Logan Herd relieved for 2.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned). D.J. Carr threw 1.1 innings allowing three runs. Giles Fox pitched an inning and allowed two runs. Jackson Rolfs was the only Tiger pitcher not charged with a run, but he did not record an out against the two batters he faced. One of the two runs Unrein allowed were earned. At the plate, Weiss, Mapes, Cherryholmes and King all drove in two runs each.
The Tigers hit the road again this weekend for a three-game series at Missouri Southern (Apr. 22-24).