HAYS, Kan. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs rebounds to beat #22 Fort Hays State and split the Sunday doubleheader and return home from the Sunflower state going 1-1 on the weekend.
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
- Final Game One: UCCS 3, #22 FHSU 6 | Game Two: UCCS 8, #22 FHSU 2
- Records: UCCS (19-14, 7-8 RMAC) | NMHU (23-9, 17-4)
- Facility | Location: Larks Park | Hays, Kan.
- All-Time Series: UCCS and FHSU face off for the first time this weekend, each taking a win to tie the all-time series 1-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED | Game One
- Both teams earned baserunners in the first three innings of the day, but neither team would be able to cash in until the bottom of the fourth. In that half inning, Tony Moore led off the Tigers with a single through the left side, with Trey DeGarmo reaching on a throwing error to put runners at second and third with no outs. Derek Woolwine came up empty with an unassisted ground out to Caleb Stubbings at first, but Brady Kreutzer's fielder's choice would score Moore unearned for the first run. Elliott Herrmann followed with a single to left, with DeGarmo also coming home unearned, as Fort Hays took the 2-0 lead after four innings of play.
- UCCS wasted no time responding, as the Mountain Lions earned a one out single from Evan Steinberger in the fifth, as Mikey Brinton moved his catcher to second on a groundout for the second out. Two-out hitting came through for UCCS, as Bryce Peterson singled to left to score Steinberger from second, as Kit Wigington delivered UCCS their first lead of the game with a homer to right to make it a 3-2 ball game.
- After the home run, the next six batters came and went without incident, but in the sixth, Fort Hays came out swinging. Tony Moore singled to right to get things started for the Tigers, as Trey DeGarmo reached on another UCCS throwing error to end Jason Fink's day. Joe Plise came on and walked Derek Woolwine to load the bases, then flung a wild pitch that scored Tony Moore and advanced the remaining Tigers to second and third. Brady Kreutzer was retired looking, with Elliott Herrmann intentionally walked to load the bases, once again. Luis Ayala grounded into a fielder's choice to score DeGarmo, with another UCCS error allowing Cooper Howell to reach and Woolwine to score to bring the score to 5-3. Isaiah Ural would then lift a sacrifice fly to right to score Herrmann, as Cesar Saavedra ended the threat with a groundout to third, but FHSU held the 6-3 lead as the dust settled.
- UCCS went quietly in the seventh, as Fort Hays took game one, 6-3.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME ONE
- Defensive woes reared their ugly head for UCCS in game one, as the Mountain Lions committed six errors.
- Kit Wigington sent his sixth home run over the fence in the fifth inning.
- Ty Riley (7-1) gets the win for the Tigers, as Jason Fink (4-3) takes the loss for UCCS.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Tigers collected their first runs in the bottom of the first inning, after putting UCCS down in order in the top of the first. Cesar Saavedra slammed Ryder Mancuso's second pitch of the afternoon to the gap in left center, as Fort Hays led off their game two offensive performance with a double. Tony Moore followed with a foul out, but Saavedra moved to third, allowing Trey DeGarmo to smash a two-run shot to left and give the Tigers the early 2-0 lead.
- UCCS would require two full innings to come and go before they revved up their offense, but in the third they broke out in a big way. Vander Hodges and Tyler Buchman both walked to lead off the inning, setting up a two-man on, no-man out situation. Mikey Brinton went down swinging for the first out, and Bryce Peterson followed with a fly out to center that pushed Hodges to third, but FHSU could then escape with damage with an out. It wouldn't come to be for the Tigers, as Kit Wigington stayed hot with a double to left center, scoring both Hodges and Buchman to tie the game at 2-2. Hayden Iverson walked to restore UCCS with two baserunners, as Dillon Vroman slashed a double of his own to left center and scored another pair with Wigington and Iverson both crossing the plate. Kaleb Carpenter would be called in from the bullpen for the Tigers to stop the hemorrhaging. Carpenter surrendered a single to Caleb Chance to put runners on the corners but came back to strike out Tyler Genrich looking to end the inning. UCCS had accomplished their task, though, taking a 4-2 lead with them back on defense after two and a half innings.
- Carpenter kept the Mountain Lions quiet until the fifth, when he was chased after allowing a lead-off double to Bryce Peterson, then walking Kit Wigington on six pitches to put two on with no outs. Brett Jacobs entered for the Tigers but couldn't slow the UCCS offense. Hayden Iverson singled through the left side to load the bases, with Dillon Vroman reaching on a fielder's choice that eliminated Bryce Peterson at home on the force out. Caleb Chance returned a single up the middle to plate Wigington and Iverson, with Vroman advancing to second. Caleb Stubbings struck out in the pinch for the second out, but Vander Hodges and Tyler Buchman both followed with walks to force Vroman home with the seventh run of the game for UCCS who then led 7-2. Mikey Brinton flied out to center to end the inning, but UCCS tacked on three more to take the five-run lead.
- Bryce Peterson homered to center to lead off the sixth, the only run for either team in the inning as Ryder Mancuso completed his outing with six complete innings and just two runs against as he was replaced to start the seventh by Nick Miszuk. At the pitching change, Miszuk came on with a comfortable 8-2 lead.
- Pitching ruled the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings as there was just one hit and three walks over the last three full innings, giving UCCS the 8-2 win in the getaway game Sunday afternoon.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME TWO
- Bryce Peterson (2B, HR) and Caleb Chance (1B, 1B) both enjoyed a multi-hit game in game two.
- Kit Wigington, Dillon Vroman and Chance all drove in a pair of runs in game two, with Wigington and Hayden Iverson scoring two runs each.
- Both teams had a double play turned.
- Ryder Mancuso (4-2) gets his second straight win as Paul Panduro (3-3) falls to .500 on his season with the loss for the Tigers.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With his home run in game one, Kit Wigington moves into second in program history for home runs, as he trails his teammate, Caleb Stubbings, by five big flies for the program lead.
- Ryder Mancuso picks up the win in two straight starts for the second time this season, and second time in his career at UCCS.
UP NEXT
- UCCS returns home for the only home series of April, taking on Colorado Mesa in a four-game series starting on Friday at 3 p.m.
SOCIAL
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
