PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team split a doubleheader against Minot State University Saturday (Feb. 17) in the Gorillas' home debut at Al Ortolani Field for 2018.
Pitt State (4-4) rode the strong pitching performance of starter Cody Whiting to a 3-2 victory in the game, before Minot State (1-1) capitalized on an untimely error to start a five-run inning and claim a 7-4 win in the nightcap.
The two squads will wrap up their four-game series with a 1 p.m. (CST) doubleheader Sunday (Feb. 18) at Al Ortolani Field.
In game one, Whiting (2-0) retired the first 12 batters he faced, registering nine strikeouts. He took a no hitter into the seventh inning before the Beavers got a one-out double from Michael Borst and a double from Darrel Doll to spoil the no-hit bid. Whiting escaped the seventh by inducing a 6-4-3 double play to strand the two runners.
The Gorillas benefited from a pair of fielding errors in the second inning to take an early 2-0 lead in the game. Cole Brecheisen singled and scored when MSU's Trevaun Smith dropped a fly ball off the bat of Cody White in left field for a three-base error. Doll then dropped an infield pop up by Joven Afenir to allow White to score.
Whiting pitched into the eighth inning, but exited the game after issuing a pair of one-out walks. Kyle Williamson then foiled the Gorillas' shutout bid with his RBI grounder against Pitt State reliever Nick Brown. A Gorillas' throwing error led to a second run.
White got the final three outs in the ninth inning for his fourth save in as many appearances this season. He issued what would have been a leadoff triple to Doll, but Doll was called out on appeal for failing to touch second base.
In game two, the Gorillas overcame an early 2-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the third inning and one more in the fourth to take a 4-2 advantage.
Colton Pogue smacked a two-run home run in the Gorillas' three-run third. Hunter Clanin added a run-scoring single.
The Beavers broke the game open in the fifth inning when Doll belted a three-run home run after a two-out error extended the inning. MSU also capitalized on three bases on balls and a base hit to tack on two more runs in the frame.
Wyatt Moore (1-0) scattered five hits in 4.0 innings of relief for MSU to pick up the win.
The Gorillas stranded 10 base runners in the contest.