By KLINT SPILLER

The Hays Daily News

Saturday's doubleheader against No. 9 Emporia State University was a tale of two completely different baseball games for No. 24 Fort Hays State University at Larks Park.

Game 1 was a defensive showdown that Fort Hays won 3-0. The Tigers' pitching staff shut down Emporia State's batters, allowing only two hits and no runs.

Game 2 was an offensive showcase that ended in a 16-4 blowout in favor of Emporia State.

"I thought the difference in the two games was that we were a little elevated in our pitches in game two, and they took advantage of the day with the wind blowing out," FHSU head coach Rick Sabath said. "We just worked too many pitches high into the zone in Game 2."

Nevertheless, the Tigers did split the day with a higher-ranked team, moving the Tigers to 9-2 overall, and 5-2 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

The win left an opportunity for Fort Hays to split the four-game series with the preseason favorite in the MIAA with a win in today's noon start at Larks Park.

Fort Hays lost to Emporia (9-3, 6-1) 10-3 on Friday in Larks Park to open the series.

"The split would be huge for us," senior pitcher Sean Bartholomew said. "They are No. 9 in the nation. A lot of people don't think we can beat them. We just have got to do it. It would be big."

Heading into Game 1 on Saturday, the Tigers were riding a 12-game losing streak against Emporia with the last win coming in 2007 when Fort Hays split the four-game series.

"In my whole time here, we have never beaten Emporia, so it was one of my personal goals to beat them," Bartholomew said. "It is big for us because they are the No. 9 team in the nation, and obviously, we are ranked now. We've got to show that we can prove to them and everyone else that we can play with them."

Bartholomew did just that, pitching the first 51âÑ3 innings, and didn't allow a hit through five innings to a team that averages 10.5 per game.

"I located all my pitches," Bartholomew said. "Any time that you can locate a few off-speed pitches, you are going to hopefully be successful. It felt good day today."

In the sixth, junior Parker Amos of Emporia drove the ball into Bartholomew's quad, sending Bartholomew to the ground.

"It hurt pretty bad," Bartholomew said. "I didn't really see it. I just felt it and fell to the ground basically. It is still sore and (hurts)."

Amos managed to get on base, ruining Bartholomew's no hitter, and to make matters worse, the blow to his leg forced Bartholomew to leave the game.

Bartholomew pitched 51âÑ3 innings, allowed only one hit and no runs, walked two and struck out eight.

Senior pitcher Mat Atkinson relieved Bartholomew and earned the save.

Atkinson only allowed one hit in the game, but it came in the sixth inning. After walking another, Atkinson had the bases loaded, and Emporia State had a chance to win the game. However, Atkinson managed to secure the final out, forcing Kevin Wempe to ground out to third.

"Mat's at bat against Kevin Wempe and getting his ground out to third was crucial to turning the tide of the game," Sabath said. "Mat always seems to make it a little bit interesting, but he finds a way to get out of it and makes quality pitches when he has to and is a real competitor."

On offense, junior catcher Ryan Majercik supplied the first two runs with an RBI single in bottom of the first and an RBI double in the bottom of the third inning.

"Ryan was seeing the ball really well, and he was getting good pitches to hit," Sabath said. "He was coming through with a number of two out hits."

Junior Sloan Soulia provided the final run, scoring freshman Chris Santascoy on a sacrifice fly ball in the third inning.

In Game 2, the Tigers struggled.

On defense, they tried four different pitchers out against the Hornets. None of them were able to completely block the tide of Emporia State offense.

On offense, the Tigers posted 12 hits out of 32 at bats, but they were only able to translate them into four runs.

"It seemed like we went out there and won the first game," Bartholomew said. "We were real happy about that, but then we didn't come out with the fire that we did in the first game."

Freshman Chase Newman picked up the loss for the Tigers.