Box Score WICHITA – Fort Hays took advantage of three Jet errors in the first inning to jump out to an early lead, then pulled away late in the game as Newman dropped its second straight on Wednesday afternoon.  Alex Lator went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, and Mitchell Beaudreau went 2-for-4 and also scored twice in the loss.
 
After starter Ryan Skoubo retired the first batter of the game, things snowballed quickly for the Jets, who committed errors on three consecutive plays to allow two Tigers to score and put another one at first with one away.  Fort Hays then utilized back-to-back singles to knock in another run, and the Jets came to bat in the bottom of the first trailing 3-0.  Newman tried to get a rally going in their half of the frame, but a double play with runners at first and second erased the threat. After the Tigers tacked on another run in the top of the second, the Jets responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Alex Lator led off with a swinging bunt to third base, then made it all the way to third on two consecutive wild pitches.  After Garrett Thomas worked a walk, Lator would score on a fielder's choice to make the score 4-1 in favor of Hays after two innings.
 
Skoubo calmed down after the first two innings, sending the Tigers down in order in the third and fourth innings before the Jets went back to work in the bottom of the fourth.  Lator again was the sparkplug, laying a perfect drag bunt down the third base line and going all the way to third when the pitcher tossed a pickoff throw up the right field line.  Two batters later, TJ Shedrick lofted a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Lator and made it 4-2.  Skoubo worked another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth, and the Jets would tie the game up in the bottom half.  Mitchell Beaudreau and Andrew Standish both reached on singles to start the inning, then moved up 90 feet each when Kyle Johnston laid down a sacrifice bunt.  Alex Lator then laced a single up the middle to score both runners, and the score was locked up at 4-4 through five innings.
 
That lead wouldn't last for long though, as the Tigers strung three hits together to plate another run and knock Skoubo out of the game.  Tanner Lee came in and got the next batter to pop up to second to end the threat, but Fort Hays had retaken the lead and this time they would not relinquish it.  Fort Hays added three more in the top of the seventh to make it 8-4, but the Jets still had some fight left in them as they put up two of their own in the bottom of the inning.  Mitchell Beaudreau led off with a double to right center, then after Andrew Standish walked, both runners moved up 90 feet on a balk.  Alex Lator laced an infield single off the pitcher's glove, which scored Beaudreau and made it 8-5.  Garrett Thomas flied out to center field on the ensuing pitch, which allowed Standish to tag up and score and cut the Tigers' lead to two.  Fort Hays tacked on two more in the top of the eighth to put the game out of reach, as Kansas intervened after the Jets batted in the bottom of the inning, bringing a thunderstorm and torrential downpour that ended the game after eight. 
 
Ryan Skoubo took the loss in the game, surrendering five runs (but only two earned) and striking out four over 5 1/3 innings. 
 
With the loss, the Jets drop below .500 and are now 14-15, 7-8 in Heartland Conference play.  They will look to get back on track this weekend, when they travel to Oklahoma Christian for a conference matchup.  Friday will feature a day-night doubleheader, with the third game scheduled for noon on Saturday.  First pitch on Friday afternoon is scheduled for 3 p.m.