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Joke is on Tigers
4/1/2009
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
April Fool's Day came a day early for the Fort Hays State University baseball team.
One strike away from a doubleheader sweep over Washburn University, the Tigers looked like they were infected by the Conficker worm, set for release today and expected to wreak havoc on computers across the globe. The Ichabods wreaked havoc of their own with the Tigers' closer Tuesday, rallying for seven runs in their last at-bat to take a 13-9 win in the second game of a doubleheader at Larks Park.
That sour finish dampened what looked to be a great day for Fort Hays, which blasted Washburn 15-2 in the opener of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association doubleheader.
"We were one strike away," Fort Hays coach Rick Sabath said. "We couldn't finish the game." Junior reliever Mat Atkinson pitched 22âÑ3 scoreless innings, and the Tigers rallied for three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh to take a 9-5 lead.
"Mat Atkinson, I thought, threw exceptionally well," Sabath said. "He threw three innings, thought it was a great time to go to Garrett."
Junior right-hander Garrett Morgan, the team's hottest pitcher out of the bullpen in recent games, couldn't close the deal Tuesday. Morgan (1-3) gave up a run in the eighth, then seven in the ninth before junior Taylor Hall came in to get the last out.
By then, the damage was done. In the ninth, Morgan (1-3) gave up five hits, a walk and hit a batter, and an error was committed behind him that would have ended the game with a Tiger win.
With the bases loaded and the Tigers leading by one run, Morgan had two strikes on senior Calvin Iversen, who hit the ball into the hole between third and short. Sophomore shortstop Chase Schippers, who has been filling in for injured regular Brett Becker, fielded the ball in the hole while contending with the baserunner from second and the Tiger third baseman, both in front of him. Schippers' throw to first was high, allowing Iversen to reach base and the tying run to score.
"Tough play for Chase there to finish the game," Sabath said. "Very tough loss for our team."
Junior Thomas Holiday followed with an infield single to third base to score the go-ahead run, and sophomore Dane Simoneau doubled inside the bag at third to score two more runs and send Morgan to the showers. Washburn (13-13 overall, 7-7 MIAA) made it 13-9 when senior Brian Gorges greeted Hall with an RBI single.
"They found some holes there," Sabath said. "Give Washburn credit, they got hits when it counted."
Simoneau, who ended the football season as the Ichabods' starting quarterback, was 5-for-6 in Game 2, with two runs scored and two RBIs. Senior Chris Contee (1-2), who worked a scoreless eighth, got the victory.
Schippers' first homer of the season, a two-run shot to dead center field in the sixth, gave Fort Hays (19-17, 11-11) a 6-5 lead. In the Tiger seventh, junior Greg Crowe homered to start a three-run inning, giving Fort Hays a four-run lead.
Senior AJ Levanduski hit a two-run blast in the second inning for the Tigers; he finished with four RBIs.
Tiger junior left-hander Matt Augustine got the start, giving up five runs on nine hits in 42âÑ3 innings before being lifted for Atkinson.
Another Tiger left-hander fared better on a windy day in Game 1, breezing through Washburn's batting order. Senior Eric Gilliland (6-4) allowed two hits over six innings, and tied his career high with 10 strikeouts.
"If you would have told me two runs, with the wind blowing out 40 miles per hour, I would have told you you're crazy," Sabath said of Gilliland's performance.
The Tigers supported Gilliland with four home runs. Junior Tyler Robbins hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run second, senior Alex Harvey led off the third and sophomore Kyle Stacken led off the fourth with home runs, and junior Greg Bieker belted a three-run blast in a five-run fifth.
The Tigers banged out 17 hits off three Washburn pitchers. Ichabod junior Joel Ricketts (4-2) lasted three innings, giving up seven runs on 12 hits.
Fort Hays will play host to Pittsburg State University in a four-game MIAA series this weekend at Larks Park. Friday's 6 p.m. series opener is "Pack the Park" night.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |