FHSU Athletics
WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The 24th-ranked Fort Hays State baseball team evened up its series with No. 3 Central Missouri Saturday afternoon with a 9-4 road victory. The Tigers (21-7, 16-3 MIAA) never trailed in the contest, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning before piling on six runs over the final three frames. The five-run loss is the largest margin of defeat for the Mules (21-7, 12-4 MIAA) this season.
The win is Fort Hays State's first victory over Central Missouri since 2016 (2/26/16), snapping a 28-game losing streak overall and a 19-game road losing streak to the Mules (last road win 3/12/11). It is Fort Hays State's second win over a top-five ranked team under head coach Justin Wichert after beating No. 4 Missouri Southern in 2023 (4/2/23).
The Tigers struck early with three runs on three hits in the top of the first. Cesar Saavedra was hit by a pitch on the fourth delivery of the game before Tony Moore reached on a single. Trey DeGarmo then drove in the pair with a ground-rule double to right center, giving Fort Hays State a 2-0 lead. Derek Woolwine kept things rolling with a single to center, plating DeGarmo to push the advantage to 3-0.
The home team answered right back with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning, but Paul Panduro was able to get out of the frame with the lead after getting a pair of groundouts with a runner in scoring position.
Both starters settled in after the first, allowing at most one man to reach base in each of the next three innings. A pair of doubles helped Central Missouri tie things up at three in the bottom of the fifth, prompting FHSU to go to the bullpen in Brandon Chavez. The reliever got out of the inning with a pop up and a groundout before retiring the side in order in the sixth.
The visitors regained the lead in the top of the seventh when Luis Ayala drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the inning. Elliott Herrmann followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position, but the next two batters were retired. Down to the last strike of the inning, Moore yanked a triple into left center past a diving Mule, plating a pair and giving the Tigers a 5-3 lead. DeGarmo kept the line moving with a single up the middle, pushing FHSU's lead to 6-3.
The Mules clawed back with one run on two singles in the bottom of the seventh, but Chavez quickly shook that off by retiring the final eight batters of the game to lock down the win.
Herrmann mashed an opposite field home run in the eighth after Brady Kreutzer led off with a single, adding a pair of insurance runs to make the score 8-4. Kreutzer delivered an RBI base hit of his own in the top of the ninth, driving in Moore with a single to make it a five-run lead.
Panduro worked the first 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out two Mules. Chavez (5-0) picked up the win after tossing the final 4 2/3 innings, his longest outing of the season. The sophomore struck out four batters without issuing any walks while giving up one run on two hits.
Moore and Herrmann both had three hits in the win, while DeGarmo and Kreutzer both had two hits. DeGarmo drove in a team-high three batters, with Moore scoring three runs.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will look for their first series win over the Mules since 2012 on Sunday when the teams meet in the rubber game beginning at 1 p.m.