FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team opened its series against Rogers State with an 11-5 win Friday afternoon at Larks Park. Daniel Bebee (2-0) picked the win after a complete game, the first nine-inning complete game for a Tiger since 2017 (Sam Capps vs NWOSU, 3/22/17).
The victory also ended an 11-game home field losing streak for the Tigers dating back to last season.
Both teams had things rolling offensively out of the gates, with each side plating two runs in the first, one run in the second and two more in the third. RSU (13-6, 2-5 MIAA) manufactured its two runs in the top of the first following three singles and good baserunning before Trey DeGarmo opened the home half of the inning with a double to left. He moved up 90 feet on a groundout before coming in to score on a single deep in the hole at short off the bat of Elliott Herrmann. Emile Boies worked his MIAA-leading 19th walk to extend the inning before Zane Knox tied the game with a single to center.
RSU plated an unearned run in the top of the second before Ridge Stephens led off the bottom of the inning with a single to right. DeGarmo later tied the game at three with a single to right of his own.
The Hillcats regained the lead with two runs on three hits in the third before Bebee got out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. FHSU (9-12, 2-5 MIAA) put together a two-out rally to tie the game when Stephens extended the inning with a single. Tico Olivas followed with a double to left field, driving in Stephens. Ed Scott then added a sharp single to center to knot things up at five.
The Tigers picked up two outs on the base paths in the fourth, including a pickoff from both Stephens and Bebee, to put up the first scoreless inning of the game. The home team finally took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the inning with another two-out rally. Boies reached second base on an error by the Hillcat second baseman on what would have been the final out of a 1-2-3 inning. Knox made them pay with a stand-up double to center, putting the Tigers in front 6-5.
Bebee faced the minimum in the fifth, working around a single by inducing his second double play of the game. A leadoff double from Stephens and two walks loaded the bases for the Tigers, but RSU kept the game close by getting out of the inning unscathed.
Bebee allowed a single in the sixth before starting a stretch of nine-straight batters retired, including three more strikeouts. The Tiger bats backed up their pitcher in the sixth, pushing across five two-out runs on five hits and two walks. Standing at the plate with two men on and two out, Olivas doubled the lead with a single up the middle. Scott followed with a double to left center, driving in one run, before DeGarmo plated a pair with a single up the middle. Herrmann later pushed the lead to 11-5 with his second RBI single of the game.
Bebee finally allowed another hit in the ninth before finishing things out with two fly balls. The junior allowed 12 hits on the day and walked only one batter while striking out five Hillcats.
DeGarmo, Stephens and Olivas all had three hits in the game, with DeGarmo driving in three runs and scoring two more. Olivas scored a team-high three times. Scott, Herrmann, Knox and Olivas all drove in two RBI each.
The Tigers and Hillcats will continue their three-game series Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at Larks Park.