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Tiger baseball improves to 4-0 with DH sweep
2/19/2010
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
Coach Rick Sabath was happy with the Tigers' pair of wins. But the Fort Hays State University baseball team had to rally in each game Thursday to do it.
Fort Hays scored eight runs in the sixth to beat Bethany College 9-6 in the opener, then scored four runs in the fifth inning of Game 2 for a 5-3 win and the sweep at Larks Park.
"I'm happy with the two wins, but we need to improve," Sabath said. "I'm really pleased with the big inning. Big innings have kind of been our strength."
Junior Chase Schippers, who hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the Tigers' big inning in the opener, doubled home the go-ahead run in Fort Hays' outburst in the nightcap.
"We don't win that game if Chase doesn't come in and provide that spark," Sabath said. "He came through with a big base hit in the second game, too."
Fort Hays freshman right-hander Chase Newman picked up the victory in his collegiate debut in Game 2. Newman allowed five hits in five innings, with one walk and six strikeouts. He allowed two runs in the second inning, but finished with three scoreless innings before the bullpen took over.
"I thought he threw the ball well, especially after the second inning," Sabath said.
"Biggest thing, really, is his command to go with his stuff. Really good curveball, put people away."
Fort Hays (4-0) trailed 2-1 entering the fifth, when junior Jordan Payne led off the inning with a triple.
Junior Ryan Majercik singled to score Payne to tie the game, then Schippers doubled home Majercik with the go-ahead run. Later in the inning, freshman Kelton Rule hit a two-run triple to give the Tigers a pair of insurance runs.
"We had a lot of base hits to the opposite field," Sabath said. "Showed we weren't trying to be stubborn, used the whole field."
Tiger junior left-hander Kyle Oestreicher gave up a homer in the sixth before senior right-hander Mat Atkinson got the final three outs for his second save of the day and third in the Tigers' four games.
In the opener, senior left-hander Matt Augustine gave up one run in 41âÑ3 innings before being lifted in a 1-1 game. Senior right-hander Garrett Morgan surrendered five runs in 11âÑ3 innings, giving Bethany (0-6) a 6-1 lead.
"Garrett's been battling the flu the last couple days," Sabath said. "Probably put him in a situation that wasn't fair to him."
Fort Hays started its eight-run sixth inning with a pair of singles before Schippers came to the plate as a pinch-hitter.
He hit his first home run of the season over the wall in left-center to get the Tigers within 6-4. With two outs, junior Clint Bieberle hit a run-scoring double and Payne made it 6-6 with an RBI single. Payne stole second and scored on Majercik's single to give the Tigers the lead. Junior Kyle Stacken provided some insurance with a two-run single.
"We showed a lot of scrappiness today," Sabath said.
Sophomore right-hander Conner Beer (1-0) got the win in relief, getting the last out in the sixth. Atkinson worked the seventh for the save.
Fort Hays was scheduled to play Avila (Mo.) University in a pair odoubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at Larks Park, but forecasted inclement weather forced a cancellation. No make-up date has been announced.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| TS | 04/06 | Emporia State | L 8-1 |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 10-2 (5 inn.) |
| SB | 03/30 | Panhandle State | W 13-3 (5 inn.) |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| BB | 03/30 | Washburn | W 3-1 |
| TS | 03/23 | Kansas Wesleyan | L 6-3 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 20-8 |
| BB | 03/23 | Metro State | W 6-5 |
| SB | 03/19 | Nebraska-Omaha | L 4-2 |
| SB | 03/19 | Truman State | W 4-1 |
| SB | 03/18 | Mo. Western | L 6-2 |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |