FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mar. 18, 2007

Southern drops final game at Fort Hays, 17-7

Box Score

Hays, Kan. - Fort Hays State scored 16 runs over a four inning span, and defeated the Missouri Southern Lions 17-7 in the final game of a four game MIAA series in Hays today.

Southern (8-11, 1-3 MIAA) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after scoring four in the top of the first. With one out, Matt Mantle and Luke Lawver both singled with Mantle moving over to third on Lawver's single. Mantle scored and Lawver moved up to second after a wild pitch. After another out, Scott Klassen knocked out an infield single and Lawver scored on an error by the third basemen for the second run of the inning.

Two walks loaded the bases and David Chaney doubled to right field scoring both Klassen and Kyle Cupp and forced the Tigers' starting pitcher from the game.

Fort Hays (13-6, 3-1 MIAA) picked up a run in the bottom of the first, but exploded for seven in the third and five in the fourth to take a 13-7 lead over the Lions after Southern had scored three in the top of the fourth.

Mantle added an RBI single, while Kyle Knight drove in two with a single of his own. The Tigers scored four more runs over the final two innings to force the ten run rule and win in seven.

Mantle was 2-3 with two runs and an RBI. Klassen was 3-4 with a run scored, while Knight had two hits and two RBIs.

Southern will come back home for a double-header with Nebraska-Omaha on Thursday, March 22.