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Hornets finish sweep of Tiger baseball team
3/27/2011
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
Fort Hays State University baseball coach Steve Johnson has consistently seen his team play even with each opponent -- with the exception of one inning. That was the case in all four games against Emporia State University, ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II, on Friday and Saturday at Larks Park.
On Friday, the Tigers permitted six runs in the third inning of the first game. In the second game, they allowed seven runs in the fourth inning. They lost both contests.
On Saturday, the Tigers lost 5-0 in the opener and 15-3 in a game called after seven innings because of the run rule. In Game 1, FHSU trailed 2-0 after four innings before it allowed three runs in the fifth off four hits. In Game 2, the Tigers permitted nine runs in the fifth inning.
"We have to simplify what is going on and that's the big inning," Johnson said. "... It's killing us. We have got to step up defensively and make plays. We have to stop feeling sorry for ourselves on the mound and make pitches. One or two runs isn't going to beat us, but we turn it into four, five, six. Until we figure that out, it's probably going to get worse before it gets better."
Emporia State improved to 20-1 overall, 16-0 in the MIAA. Fort Hays dropped to 9-13, 6-10 in the conference. FHSU is 1-8 against ranked teams this season, including a 1-7 mark against ESU and University of Central Missouri.
"Player for player the teams are very similar," Johnson said, referring to Fort Hays and Emporia State. "But they expect to win right now and right now, we don't. That's what it comes down to,"
In the first game, Fort Hays mustered just three hits against Hornet junior starter Brandon Faulkner (5-0). Faulkner didn't strike out a batter, but walked just one and covered seven innings in 73 pitches. Just one runner reached second base. Fort Hays junior right-hander Connor Beer (2-3) took the loss after he allowed nine hits and five runs in 51รขÑ3 innings. Beer was touched for two first inning runs on a two-run homer from junior designated hitter Joe Vaskas. He had little trouble until the fifth until a hit batter, a forceout, double and three singles opened the door for three runs.
In Game 2, Fort Hays, helped by solo homer from senior first baseman Kyle Stacken, the Tigers trailed 5-3 entering the fifth. Then, the Hornets piled on nine runs on seven hits with a Tiger error. The Tigers went through three pitchers.
"It's just one person might make an error and then nobody else steps up behind it," junior outfielder Nash Smith said. "We start to point fingers and we just need to take control, slow the game down. It's very frustrating. Baseball is a frustrating game, though."
We have got to overcome it somehow."
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |