Box ScoreHAYS, Kan. – The Northeastern State baseball team lost 11-10 in 10 innings to Fort Hays State Friday night at Larks Park.
The Tigers (6-18, 5-12 MIAA) came from five runs down to earn the victory, which marked the second-straight conference game the RiverHawks (14-10, 8-9 MIAA) lost after leading by five or more runs. This was also the first time all season that NSU lost a series opener (previously 5-0).
Northeastern State plated five runs in the fourth and added another two runs in the fifth to take the initial 7-2 lead. FHSU got one back in the home half of the fifth and then exploded for seven runs in the sixth frame to take a 10-7 lead. NSU was able to fight back and tie the score with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, but the Tigers fended off NSU with a walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th.
Fort Hays State outhit Northeastern State 14-13, but the Tigers committed three errors to none from NSU.
Five different RiverHawks finished with two hits, and senior
Jorge Ozuna led the way with three runs batted in. Junior
Cody Begovich scored three times and hit his second home run of the season, and junior
Gabriel Wurth scored twice and drove in two runs.
Senior
Kyle Shambaugh had a solid outing after giving up just three runs on four hits in the first 5.0 innings. He left with a 7-3 lead, and sophomore reliever
Zack Hammock conceded seven runs on six hits (two home runs) in just 0.2 innings. Senior
Hayden Walch was able to settle down the Tigers bats, as he gave up no runs and just two hits over the next 3.1 innings. He also registered six strikeouts. Junior
Jake Kern (0-1) suffered his first loss at NSU after allowing the walkoff hit in the 10th inning.
FHSU starter Gabe Cook was pulled after allowing five runs on seven hits in the first 3.2 innings. Steven Federau came on to allow two runs on three hits across the next 2.1 innings. Kyle Vogt gave up a pair of runs on two hits in 1.0 innings, and Austin Unrein (2-2) earned the win after conceding just one unearned run and one hit in the final 3.0 innings.
Cooper Langley paced the Tigers with a 3-for-6 effort at the plate. He also drove home three and scored once. Kevin Czarnecki finished 2-for-3 with one RBI and three runs scored, while Andre Vieyra was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two home runs.
The series will continue with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. March 28.
