FHSU Athletics
PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team picked up a critical series-opening win over Pittsburg State Friday evening, winning 13-8. The Tigers (25-22, 12-19 MIAA) scored six runs in the first inning and five more in the top of the eighth to seal the road win over the Gorillas (35-11, 21-10 MIAA).
The Tigers set the tone early when Cesar Saavedra homered on the first pitch of the game, immediately giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. Brady Kreutzer followed with a ground-rule double before Elliott Herrmann worked a four-pitch walk. Jose Cintron added a pair of runs with a triple to right center, pushing the lead to 3-0. Trey DeGarmo followed with an RBI single before Jamison Armstrong later plated a pair on a single of his own, stretching the Tiger lead to 6-0.
Tiger starter Ty Riley worked himself into a jam in the bottom of the first, allowing one walk and two singles to the first three batters. But Riley was able to escape the situation with a pop up and two strikeouts, kickstarting a run of 15-conseutive retired batters by the hard-throwing right hander. He struck out nine of those 15 batters, including striking out five in a row at one point.
The Tigers left a man in scoring position in the second before padding the lead to 7-0 in the top of the third. Sebastian Burgos led off with a single and later scored on another RBI base hit from Armstrong.
Fort Hays State continued to get men on base in every inning, including leaving the bases loaded in the sixth, but the Tigers were unable to scratch across another run. Pittsburg State finally broke through in the sixth when Riley allowed his second hit of the game, a two-run home run that made the score 7-2.
The Black and Gold answered right back in the top of the seventh when DeGarmo and Burgos worked back-to-back one-out walks. Luis Ayala followed with an RBI single up the middle, putting the Tigers on top by six, 8-2.
The Gorillas continued their rally after the seventh-inning stretch, scoring six runs to tie things up at eight thanks to four hits and two walks. Dylan Rinker and Spencer Maley combined to record all three outs via strikeout in the inning, getting out of the frame without surrendering the lead.
Fort Hays State punched back in the top of the eighth, putting up another crooked number with five runs. Kreutzer worked a leadoff walk before Isaiah Ural crushed a no-doubter soaring over the scoreboard in left center, putting the Tigers back on top, 10-8. Cintron kept things rolling with a one-out double before coming around to score on an RBI single from DeGarmo. Armstrong continued his solid day at the plate, driving in a pair with a two-out double into the right-field corner, giving FHSU a 13-8 lead.
After striking out the final two batters in the top of the seventh, Maley continued to dominate over the final two innings, retiring eight-straight batters to finish off the win. Maley (2-3) earned the win after striking out five batters over 2 2/3 innings of work, allowing two runs on two hits. Riley finished the game with a season-high 12 strikeouts in 6 innings of work, surrendering three runs on three hits and three walks.
Eight different Tigers picked up at least one hit in the win, combing for 15 base knocks. DeGarmo and Armstrong both had three base hits, with Armstrong driving in a team-high five RBI. Kreutzer, Ural and Cintron all had two hits each while DeGarmo and Burgos both scored three runs.
UP NEXT
Due to impending weather in southwest Kansas, the Tigers and Gorillas will attempt to wrap up the series with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday.