FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The 21st-ranked Fort Hays State baseball team opened its final regular season home series with a 4-1 win over Northwest Missouri State Friday in front of a full house at Pack the Park 2025. The Tigers are now 31-11 on the year and 25-6 in MIAA play, matching their highest win total in MIAA play since joining the league in 2007. The Bearcats dip to 21-23 overall and 15-16 in conference action.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run from Elliott Herrmann in the bottom of the second, his 10th long ball of the season. Cesar Saavedra doubled the lead with a home run to nearly the same exact spot in left center two innings later, putting the Tigers up 2-0.
Those two runs were all the support Ty Riley would need, with the senior turning in another masterful performance. Riley tossed his fourth complete game of the season, striking out 11 batters while allowing just one run on six hits and three walks. He retired the side in order three times and at one point retired 11 in a row.
With his first strikeout of the game Riley took sole possession of the program's single season strikeout record that he tied in his last outing. Then in the fifth inning he became the first pitcher in program history to strike out 100 batters in a season before ultimately finishing the game with 106 punchouts on the year.
Herrmann made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth before Trey DeGarmo came around to score on a dropped fly ball in the home half of the seventh. Northwest Missouri State tried to claw back in the top of the eighth, manufacturing one run after two hits and a walk. But Riley was able to limit the damage to just one run after striking out the final batter looking to end the inning.
Three solid defensive plays helped Riley slam the door in the ninth, with DeGarmo making an impressive backhanded stop followed by a strong throw across the diamond for the first out. The reigning MIAA Gold Glove winner at third base then made a great catch on a hard-hit line drive before Tony Moore made a good stop and throw at second to secure the win.
Degarmo and Saavedra both had two of FHSU's eight hits, while Ural walked twice alongside one hit.
The Tigers and Bearcats are scheduled to continue the series on Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. before concluding the weekend on Sunday beginning at noon.