Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Box Score Goodwell, Okla.—The Aggies went nine-innings with Fort Hays State University Wednesday afternoon and came close to edging ahead after a big seventh inning scored four runs for OPSU. The Tigers took five runs in the eighth to hold the lead and take a 10-4 win in regulation play.

Dallas Guerrero led-off on the mound for the Aggies and went six full innings. The Tigers brought through two runs in the first after the opening runner was hit-by-pitch and later scored off two singles, a stolen base and a fly-out. Guerrero struck out two swinging in seven batters faced in the first inning.

The first three Aggie batters were sent to the dugout by the Tigers' starting pitcher, Logan Herd. Guerrero got off to a good start in the second, striking out the first batter faced and throwing a ground-out to his second. An infield error, walked batter and single put three Tigers on base with two outs, but a ground-out left the bases loaded and the score at 2-0 with the visitors holding the lead. Innings two through four left both teams scoreless with just one hit allowed to the Aggies and two for Fort Hays. The Tigers increased to a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning, scoring two runs on two hits in the top of the inning.

Guerrero was replaced in the top of the sixth by senior Logan Litton; Litton went one inning and opened with a strikeout that reached on a wild pitch. The runner stole second and was sent through on an RBI double before a groundout and a fly-out ended the inning. The Aggies remained scoreless through six innings and brought in Joel Perez to pitch in the top of the seventh. Perez held off hitters, allowing just one base on balls and zero hits in three batters faced during his inning of work. Fort Hays brought through two runs in the top of the fifth with two outs, and added another run to the boards in the sixth to take at 5-0 lead over OPSU.  The walked batter was caught stealing, catcher (Cody Dion) to shortstop (Ivan Silva), for the first out; a looking strikeout and ground-out followed to save the score.

Juan Rubayo hit a lead-off single in the bottom of the inning and advanced to second as the following batter, Austin Beckner, was hit by a pitch. Beckner and Rubayo both moved up on a wild pitch and, an RBI single by Derek Stallworth put up the first run for the Aggies as Rubayo crossed home. The Tigers called for their third pitching change with no outs and runners on the corners for OPSU. Peyton Osbon stepped up with a SAC-bunt to bring in Beckner and Stallworth made it to third on a balk.

Back to the top of the order, Quinn O'Neill was walked with one out and was thrown out at second on a stolen base attempt. Stallworth then scored on a wild pitch and Silva reached base on balls to bring out the fourth FHSU pitcher of the game with two outs and one runner on first for the Aggies. Silva stole his third base of the season to reach second, and the next three Aggie batters were walked to score Silva; Dehryan Noriega earned an RBI as the third runner reaching base on balls. The Tigers went through a total of four pitchers in the seventh inning and the Aggies earned four runs to put the game within reach with two innings left to play.

Zane Grigsby came out of the Aggie bullpen to pitch one out in the eighth, and was relieved by Chance Jones after giving up a double for two RBI and a two-run homer to pull the Tigers into a 9-4 lead. Jones entered with a runner on first, sent on four balls from Grigsby's last batter. A single and a double steal moved two runners to scoring positions on second and third base during Jones' second batter faced; a swinging strike brought the second out. The Tiger's tenth run scored on a wild pitch during the next at-bat, whom Jones would strikeout looking to end the inning.

Three-up/three-down for OPSU left the Aggies with one inning to make up six runs. Eddie Lopez was sent out to close in the top of the ninth and walked his first batter; a single put a second runner on base, but Lopez caught the next two batters swinging. A double-steal followed by another walk loaded the bases with two outs. The third out came on a fielder's choice ending the inning for Lopez with just one hit allowed.

A strikeout swinging sent the first Aggie batter back to the dugout in the bottom of the ninth. Silva stepped up next and drove a double through the right side, but was thrown out on his way to third. A groundout ended the game with the visiting team getting the win. Guerrero took the loss for OPSU and is 0-2 on the season. Guerrero struck out six and advanced two on walks in 32 batters faced. Herd was given the win for FHSU as the pitcher of record and Fox took a save in the final 2.1 innings.

The Aggies totaled five hits in 28 at-bats with one double and seven batters walked. Fort Hays batters averaged .275 in hitting against the Aggies and drove two doubles and one homerun in the game, but left 13 runners on base. OPSU pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts and seven base-on-balls. Defensively, the Aggies caught two runners stealing and committed two errors.

The Aggies drop to a 1-8 record, but will have four opportunities to improve this weekend in two double-header matchups with the University of Sioux Falls starting at Noon on Saturday, Feb. 20; Sunday's games begin at 11 a.m.