FHSU Athletics
TOPEKA, Kan. - Fort Hays State baseball fell to Washburn in the last game of the three-game series, 7-6, on Sunday. The Tigers (21-20, 9-18 MIAA) led 3-0 after an inning of play before the Ichabods (23-16, 17-10 MIAA) rallied late for the third-straight game, scoring four runs over the last three innings to grab the win in walk-off fashion.
The Tigers raced out to a quick start, scoring three runs in the first inning. Cesar Saavedra led off with a double to left center before an Isaiah Ural single scored Saavedra. Kreutzer singled to put two on for Zane Knox. He came through with a two-RBI single after a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position, giving FHSU a 3-0 lead.
Tiger starter Rafeal Espinoza worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning before the Ichabod bats added a run in the bottom of the third. Espinoza walked the leadoff batter, leading to a sacrifice bunt, putting a runner in scoring position. The Ichabods then had an RBI single, putting them on the board. Washburn came right back in the bottom half of the fourth to score two more on two hits. The game remained tied 3-3 until the bottom of the seventh, when Washburn took the lead on a sacrifice fly RBI.
Fort Hays State tied the game in the top of the eighth when Kreutzer led off the inning with a walk. The next batter, Knox, put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner, bringing up Jose Cintron. Cintron singled to left field to score Kreutzer from second, making it 4-4. However, Washburn rallied back into the lead with a two-out, two-RBI triple in the bottom of the eighth.
The Tigers did not go down without a fight. Saavedra drew a walk with one out and then Ural came through in the clutch and launched a homer to deep center field to tie the ball game 6-6 in the ninth. That marked his third RBI of the game and his seventh hit of the series. Unfortunately, the Ichabods had the final blow in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off solo homer by Cale Savage.
Ural and Kreutzer both had a pair of FHSU's seven total hits. One of Kreutzer's hits was his seventh triple of the season which ties the FHSU record for a single season. Saavedra, Ural and Kreutzer all scored twice in the loss. Espinoza struck out three batters in 8 innings of work, allowing six earned runs on ten hits and a pair of walks.
Landyn Sterling suffered the loss, going 1/3 inning of relief in the ninth.
UP NEXT
The Tigers head back to Hays for a non-conference contest with William Jewell on Tuesday at 3 p.m. which can be heard on KAYS (1400/94.3). FHSU will face Emporia State in its final home MIAA series of the season on the weekend starting Friday.