HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State University Tigers used a 19-hit attack, including nine extra-base hits to score a 15-9 win over the Northwest Missouri State University baseball team Friday night at Larks Park.

Northwest countered with four homers and five extra-base hits in all.
 
FHSU improved to 19-26 overall and 9-19 in league action, while Northwest fell to 10-31 overall and 8-20 in MIAA play.
 
The Bearcat offense came out firing in the opening frame. Cole Slibowski drew a walk as the first batter of the contest. Ryan Koski belted a one-out, two-run homer to left for a 2-0 Bearcat lead. Trey Morris clobbered a solo blast to left-center to up the margin to 3-0 only four batters into the game. Parker Griffith and Caden Diel followed with infield singles to give the Bearcats four consecutive hits with one out. Layne Shiers was retired on a ground-ball double play to end the first frame.
 
The Tigers accounted for two runs on three hits as they greeted Bearcat starter Alex Slocum in the first.
 
Slocum gave up four more hits in the second inning before he exited the contest with one out in the second. FHSU added four more runs in the second to take a 6-4 lead. Head coach Darin Loe turned to Alexander Lovin with one out in the second and Lovin induced a double play on his first hitter to thwart any more damage.
 
Lovin retired the Tigers in order in the third to extend his streak of consecutive batters retired to 16 in a row over his last two outings.
 
Jacob Selock worked a two-out walk in the fourth to prolong the inning. Slibowski connected on a two-run blast to left-center for his second home run of the year. Alex Bowers followed Slibowski's lead and went back-to-back for his first homer of his career that knotted the matchup at 6-6.
 
FHSU's Mikey Felton led off the fourth with a single up the middle to halt Lovin's streak at 16 in a row. Lovin worked out of the inning by getting three straight outs and keeping the game at 6-6.
 
Northwest put two runners on base in the fifth but could not scratch across a run.
 
The Tigers exploded for a seven-run fifth that featured six extra-base hits, including three home runs. FHSU's Elliott Herrmann hit a two-run home run to right-center with no one out in the fifth to give the Tigers an 8-6 advantage. Lovin then allowed a single, a fly out and a ground-rule double before he was relieved by Andrew Clark.
 
Clark struck out Felton for the second out, but Colter Maldonado ripped a three-run homer to left to extend the FHSU lead to 11-6. Right fielder Ed Scott hit FHSU's third home run of the inning as he went back-to-back to push the advantage to 12-6. FHSU second baseman Emile Boies capped the seven-run outburst with an RBI that chased Clark from the game. Loe turned to Kade Barrick to get the final out of the sixth.
 
Northwest rattled its bats in the sixth with two runs that could have been more were it not for an outfield assist that gunned down a Bearcat at the plate. Selock opened the frame with a walk and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Slibowski worked another walk to put runners on the corners with no outs. Bowers drove in Selock with a double to center. Koski singled to left which allowed Slibowski to score. However, Bowers was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second for the first out of the inning. Morris and Griffith each flew out to end the threat and left the Bearcats trailing 13-8.
 
Barrick worked out of a small jam in the sixth when the first two FHSU hitters reached base. Bowers was able to catch a foul bunt attempt for the first out and Barrick got a ground ball double play to end the sixth with the 'Cats on the short end of a 13-8 score.
 
Northwest was unable to take advantage of a two-out single by Ryan Williams in the seventh and the 'Cats still trailed by five.
 
Barrick departed the contest with one out and two runners on base in the seventh. Loe selected Casey Stalzer out of the bullpen to work on the Tigers. Boies tallied his fifth hit of the game, his third double, with an RBI double to welcome Stalzer to the contest. Herrmann delivered a sacrifice fly to center to drive in another run and give FHSU a 15-8 lead through seven innings.
 
Koski knocked in his fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to the wall in center to slice the FHSU lead to six at 15-9. Slibowski led off the inning with a walk. Slibowski moved up to second when Bowers reached on an error. Slibowski stole third and Bowers moved up to second when the throw got away at third. Koski then lifted his sac fly for Northwest's lone run of the eighth.
 
Stalzer worked a quiet eighth as the Tigers went down in order.
 
The Bearcats also went down in order in the ninth.
 
Slocum was touched up for seven hits and six runs (all earned) in 1 1/3 innings of work. Slocum faced 12 batters and allowed one walk without a strikeout.
 
Lovin (0-1) took the loss in three innings of relief. Lovin struck out two batters while allowing five hits and four runs (all earned). Lovin did not issue a walk.
 
Clark went 1/3 of an inning and was charged with three runs. Clark gave up four hits and struck out one. Clark did not walk a batter.
 
Barrick pitched 1 2/3 innings and issued two hits to go along with two walks. Barrick struck out two FHSU batters and was touched up for two runs (both earned).
 
Stalzer allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings pitched. Stalzer did not allow a run and struck out one.
 
The Bearcats and Tigers will meet for game two of the series Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
NOTES: Ryan Koski connected for his 10th home run of the season and 19 in his career in the first inning … Koski ranks No. 9 on Northwest's career home run chart … Koski upped his career RBI total to 114 … Koski went 3-for-4 with four RBI … Koski posted his fourth three-hit game of the season and the ninth of his career … Trey Morris hit his ninth home run of the year in the first … Cole Slibowski extended his streak of games reaching base to 31 in a row with a walk in the first inning … Slibowski tied his season-high with four runs scored … he also scored four runs against Newman on March 4 … Northwest's four home runs set a season-high for the Bearcats … the last time Northwest hit four homers came on April 14, 2022, against Central Oklahoma … FHSU out-hit Northwest, 19-13 … FHSU made two errors, while the Bearcats did not commit an error … Northwest pitchers issued three walks … FHSU hurlers allowed five walks, including three to Slibowski.