Last week was a tough week for Gorilla baseball, as they were swept by the Northwest Missouri Bearcats, losing all three games. The Gorillas bounced back this week, taking the series win 2-1 over Fort Hays State, winning the first two handily before falling just short in game three.
The Gorillas got back to their winning ways with a 12-2 statement win over the Tigers, holding the Tigers scoreless through the first four innings. Pitt State would build a nine-run lead before allowing the first score by Fort Hays State. The Tigers would tack on a couple runs, but Pitt State would but the emphasis on the win by hitting three more runners home in the ninth inning.
Senior Dagen Brewer smacked his 14th home run of the season to lead off Pitt State’s third inning scoring spree. He added a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Redshirt senior Isaac Webb and senior Grant Nottlemann had two hits apiece, and each scored three times. The Gorillas benefited from 15 walks in the contest, and FHSU pitchers hit two batters. Junior Jadyn McNealy drew four bases on balls and stole three bases. Webb also had a pair of steals. Pitt State stole bases for a school record: Seven times in the game.
Following the win, the Gorillas played again on Saturday, and were able to improve upon their last game, winning 21-7 over the Tigers. The Gorillas scored two runs in the third, six in the fourth to build an 8-0 lead, before knocking 11 runs in the fifth inning to run away with the game. Pitt State would tack on two more runs in the seventh inning to make the final score, winning in just eight innings.
The Gorillas smacked nine home runs in the game, tying the school record for round trippers. Brewer belted four home runs while Nottlemann hit three. Brewer broke his own school record and tied the MIAA single game mark with 10 RBI. He also matched the school and conference records with 4 HRs and 16 total bases; and he equaled the school record for runs scored with five.
Webb, who also hit a home run in the contest, became just the second player in school history to hit for the cycle. Webb delivered a double in the 3rd inning, home run in 4th, a single in 5th and in his second at bat of the 5th inning came away with a triple. Graduate student Zach Voss limited the Tigers to three runs over 5.0 innings of work.
Game three would not go in the Gorillas favor, as they fell 11-7 to Fort Hays State, despite holding an early lead. The Gorillas would be tied with the Tigers three apiece after two innings, before allowing a run in the fourth and fifth inning to go down 5-3. Pitt State would rally, scoring two runs in the seventh to tie, then scoring two more at the top of the eighth to take the lead 7-5, but six runs were allowed in the bottom of the same inning, as the Gorillas couldn’t hold the lead.
Brewer stake Pitt State to a 6-5 lead with an RBI double in the top of the eighth inning. He later scored on a wild pitch to give the Gorilla a 7-5 edge. Redshirt junior Kam Koester delivered a run-scoring pinch hit single to knot the score at 5-5 in the seventh frame. Senior Cooper Crouch (0-2) took the loss in relief for the Gorillas.
Pitt State will return to action on April 10, playing on the road again, this time against Northeastern State University. The Gorillas are in the midst of a 12-game road trip and won’t return to Pitt to play until late April.