April 22, 2025 – Emporia State baseball fell 12-4 on the road Tuesday afternoon against #21 Fort Hays State after closing the deficit to 5-4 with three runs in the top of the eighth.
In the first inning, the Hornets put two runners on base but were unable to take the advantage in the opening frame.
Nick Woodcock got his second start of the season, and quickly retired the Tigers in order in the bottom half with two strikeouts.
Emporia State scored the opening run in the second inning, with
TJ Racherbaumer getting the inning started with a leadoff walk. Following a fielding error and a bunt single by
Brady Unrein, Racherbaumer scored the game's first run on a wild pitch to put the Hornets ahead 1-0.
Fort Hays would pull level with one run in the third, before scoring three in the fourth to take the lead for good. The Tigers would score another run in the seventh to take a 5-1 advantage, and in the eighth, the Hornets attempted to rally after being held scoreless over the previous five frames.
TJ Racherbaumer led off the inning with one of his three walks in the game, and after a pair of hit batters with one out, the Hornets loaded the bases. Emporia State got back-to-back hits, first an RBI single from
Logan Myers to make the score 5-2.
Peyton Lewis followed Myers with a two-run double to trim the deficit to 5-4 while also representing the go-ahead run at second base. The Hornets loaded the bases with two outs but were unable to deliver another hit as the 21st-ranked Tigers held their 5-4 lead.
In the bottom half, Fort Hays State put together a rally of their own, using five hits, two walks and an error to score seven runs and build a 12-4 lead heading to the ninth.
Emporia State put two runners on base in their final at-bat, but were kept off the board in the inning as the Hornets fell 12-4 against #21 Fort Hays State on Tuesday afternoon.
Logan Myers went 3-5 with an RBI and walk, marking his seventh multi-hit game in the last nine, and seventh game with three or more hits this season.
TJ Racherbaumer drew three walks and was hit by a pitch, reaching base four times in the second straight game. Racherbaumer also scored two runs, passing Doug Miller for ninth in Emporia State history with 140 scored in his career.
Emporia State will return home in their next time out, hosting Arkansas Fort Smith on April 25-27 at Turnbull Field. First pitch of the series opener between the Hornets and Lions is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
