FHSU Athletics
FORT SMITH, Ark. - The Fort Hays State baseball team completed a series sweep of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Monday at Crowder Field thanks to some late-inning heroics. The Tigers improved to 8-4 overall and 3-0 in MIAA play with the 13-12 win, while the Lions are now 5-7 overall and 0-3 in conference action.
While 10 of Fort Hays State's runs came on four home runs, the two biggest runs came on ninth-inning single when they were down to their last strike.
The Lions quickly scored with two runs in the first, but FHSU answered right back when Trey DeGarmo clubbed a two-run home run to left center in the top of the second. Fort Smith responded with two runs on three hits in the home half of the inning, taking a 4-2 lead that they would hold until the fifth when Isaiah Ural tied things with another two-run bomb.
The home team regained the lead once again in the bottom of the fifth, but it didn't last for long as Luis Ayala led off the sixth with a solo home run to tie the score at five. A throwing error on the potential final out of the inning gave FHSU its first lead of the game before DeGarmo hit his second home run of the game, this time a grand slam to put the Tigers up 10-5.
Fort Hays State added another run in the top of the seventh with a Tony Moore RBI single, putting the Tigers up six with nine outs to go. The Lions roared back with six runs on three hits and three walks in the seventh inning, tying the score at 11. UAFS then regained the lead, 12-11, with two hits and a walk in the bottom of the eighth.
Zane Knox led off the ninth with a walk before Cooper Howell reached on an infield single with one out. A sacrifice bunt then put the pair in scoring position with two outs. Moore came through with another RBI single, sending a 1-2 pitch back up the middle to plate a pair and give the Tigers a 13-12 lead.
After picking up a three-inning save on Sunday, Branden Chavez came out of the pen to retire the side in order and claim his fourth save of the season. The sophomore opened the frame with a strikeout before recording a pair of groundouts to seal the win.
DeGarmo collected six RBI while going 3-for-5 at the dish, giving him nine RBI for the weekend. Moore, Ural and Cesar Saavedra all collected two hits each, with Moore reaching base four times thanks to two hits and two walks.
Mike Acierno got the start and lasted one inning before Kaleb Carpenter struck out five batters over 5.0 innings of relief. DJ Cavasos got the win after allowing one run in the eighth before Chavez came on to slam the door.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return home for its next nine games beginning this weekend when FHSU hosts Missouri Western in a three-game conference series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.