By: Justin Wollard, Media Relations Director
Game one | Game two | Season stats
BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The SBU baseball Bearcats rallied several times Friday against Fort Hays State, with the biggest rally coming in the bottom of the tenth inning, as the 'Cats gained a doubleheader split with the Tigers. SBU won the second game 9-8 in 10 innings after falling 9-2 in the opener.
"I'm proud of our guys. They never stopped battling," said head coach Sam Berg. "We've been playing better the last few weekends, and it was good to get the win, especially the way we did. Fort Hays is one of many good teams in the MIAA."
After trailing 5-0 in game two, SBU (4-21, 3-15 MIAA) tied the game with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Paden Grubbs led off with a double and later scored on a single from Steven Davis. Later Kyle Wise scored on a sac fly from Kyle Tormanen. Taylor Trotter would score on a error by the FHSU right fielder. Justin Barnhart singled to bring home two as SBU sent nine men to the plate during the inning.
The Bearcats took the lead in the fifth inning on a home run to left by Davis, his second of the season. FHSU (16-6, 9-5 MIAA) tied the game with a solo tally in the seventh, and grabbed a 7-6 lead with a run in the top of the ninth.
Rally number two for SBU came in the bottom of the ninth, when Grubbs doubled and later scored the tying run on a wild pitch. After FHSU's Sloan Soulia doubled in the top of the tenth to give Hays another lead, the final Bearcat comeback came in extra baseball. With one out in the tenth, Barnhart doubled down the left field line, scoring Ryan Huslig. Nigel Morton scored the game winner on a slow roller to third by Niko Saladis.
Wise went 3-for-3 to lead the SBU attack, which pounded out 15 hits. Barnhart drove in three runs, and was one of seven Bearcats with at least two hits. Ethan Stenger was strong out of the bullpen, going 5 1/3 innings while striking out five and allowing just one run.
Fort Hays won the opener 9-2, scoring four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth. Trotter and Morton each had two hits for the 'Cats in game one.
The Bearcats and Tigers will get an earlier than usual start on Saturday, as the doubleheader begins at 10 a.m. from Dodson Field. The start time was moved up from noon to beat the rainy forecast.
