FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State Tiger baseball team hit three home runs to overcome a four-run deficit and defeat William Jewell (Mo.) 11-8 on a windy Tuesday afternoon at Larks Park. The two teams combined to hit seven home runs in a game that saw the two teams combine for 29 hits. The Tigers (22-20) snapped a four-game losing streak while ending the Cardinals (21-16) five-game win streak.
Tiger starter Spencer Maley surrendered a lead off home run to Alex Epp to begin the game but recovered to retire the next three batters. Maley worked out of bases-loaded jam in the second getting getting Epp to fly out to center to end the inning. Andrew Hansen took over on the mound in the third inning, striking out the first batter before yielding a home run to Evan Jilbert. A remarkable diving play and throw by shortstop Sebastian Burgos to get a runner out at third base held WJC to just one run in the inning.
Fort Hays State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Brady Kreutzer reached base on an error, followed by a single from Zane Knox. Jose Cintron's sacrifice fly brought Kreutzer home to cut the lead in half.
William Jewell used a sacrifice fly and two-run homer from Dawaon Tweet to extend their lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth.
The Tigers roared back in the bottom of the fifth. Cesar Saavedra doubled followed by a home run from Isaiah Ural to pull the Tigers within 5-3. FHSU capitalized on a fielder's choice, walk, and single, with Trey DeGarmo delivering his third hit of the game with the bases loaded which drove in a run and pull the Tigers back within a run at 5-4.
The Tigers pulled even in the sixth when Kreutzer's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded brought in a run. The Cardinals regained the lead with an RBI double in the seventh, but Fort Hays quickly responded, scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Saavedra's two-run homer.
William Jewell's Evan Jilbert added another solo home run in the eighth inning, but Sebastian Burgos answered for the Tigers with a home run of his own in the bottom of the inning to push the FHSU lead to 11-7.
William Jewell used three walks to load the bases in the top of the ninth then scored a run on a single which drove Brett Jacobs from the game. Landyn Sterling came and got the final out and end the game.
The Tigers utilized six pitchers, conceding eight earned runs while striking out nine. Jacobs (1-1) earned the win going 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. Sterling picked up his first save.
Offensively, the Tigers amassed 16 hits, with Saavedra, Ural, Herrmann, and DeGarmo leading the charge with multiple hits each. DeGarmo led the way with four hits and an RBI. Nearly every Tiger contributed with an RBI, with Saavedra, Ural, Kreutzer, and Burgos each contributing two. Kreutzer extended his hitting streak to a team-best 14 games.
UP NEXT
Fort Hays State hosts Emporia State in a key MIAA series beginning Friday at Larks Park. They will then travel to Liberty Mo. to take on William Jewell in the Tigers final non-conference game of the season next Tuesday.