FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team continued its offensive onslaught against Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, beating the Bearcats 18-8 in seven innings behind 23 hits. Through the first two games of the series against the Bearcats (10-32, 8-21 MIAA), the Tigers (20-26, 10-19 MIAA) have combined to score 33 runs on 42 hits. All nine Tigers in the lineup had at least one hit, with eight of the nine recording multi-hit games.
The win gives FHSU 20 wins in a season for the first time since 2016 and keeps the them in the mix for its first trip to an MIAA Tournament since 2013.
After starter Jake Campbell retired the side in four batters in the top of the first, the Tigers got to work in the home half. FHSU batted around in its first trip to the plate, sending 10 batters to the dish and scoring six runs in the first.
Ed Scott led off with a first-pitch triple off the wall in deep center before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Isaiah Ural. Elliott Herrmann clubbed a two-run home run two batters later before Zach Davis crushed a three-run shot to right later in the inning.
Campbell continued to deal in the early innings, retiring 10 of the first 13 batters he faced. The Tiger offense added a single run in the second before pushing across four runs in both the third and fourth innings. Ural scored on a double play in the second before driving in a run on a single in the third. Scott dropped in an RBI double in the third before Emile Boies drove a two-run home run to left, putting the Tigers in front 11-0.
The Bearcats scored their first three runs on a home run with two outs in the fourth, but the home team answered right back with four more runs in the bottom of the inning. Two Bearcat errors prolonged the inning, with Davis, Colter Maldonado and Ural all driving in runs.
Northwest added a solo shot in the fifth before scoring four runs off Campbell in the sixth, three of which were unearned. Andrew Hansen came out of the bullpen to get out of a jam, facing a bases-loaded, no-out situation. The reliever got two outs before allowing a pair of runs to come in on a double, but limited the damage to those two runs.
Hansen then retired the side in order in the seventh before the Tigers scored three more runs to reach the run-rule threshold. Herrmann led off with his second home run of the game, a solo shot to straightaway center. Trey DeGarmo followed with an opposite-field double before scoring on a single from Davis. Mikey Felton followed with the game-winning RBI, plating Davis with a single up the middle.
Campbell (4-0) worked five-plus innings, allowing eight runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks while striking out a pair. Hansen struck out two batters in 2.0 innings of relief, giving up just one hit and one walk.
Davis was 4-for-5 at the dish with five RBI and four runs scored, while DeGarmo was also 4-for-5 with three runs. Herrmann (2-for-5) and Ural (3-for-4) each drove in a trio of runs.
The Tigers will look for the series sweep Sunday (April 23) at Larks Park beginning at 1 p.m. The Pack the Park weekend finale is also Curt Pfannenstiel Day and Senior Day, with festivities scheduled to begin 20 minutes before first pitch.