FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State baseball put on a show in front of their home crowd Sunday, exploding for a nine-run eighth inning to secure a commanding 13-2 run-rule victory over Missouri Southern at Larks Park. The win was punctuated by a walk-off grand slam from Trey DeGarmo, sealing the Tigers' eighth MIAA victory in dominant fashion.
The Tigers (13-5, 8-1 MIAA) wasted no time setting the tone, as Zane Knox and Derek Woolwine launched back-to-back solo home runs in the first inning to put Fort Hays State up 2-0 early. Missouri Southern (12-7, 5-5 MIAA) struggled to get anything going offensively in the early innings, as Tigers' starter Paul Panduro kept their bats in check.
Fort Hays State extended its lead in the fourth inning, capitalizing on key at-bats. Cooper Howell roped a leadoff double down the right-field line before Jamison Armstrong executed a textbook sacrifice bunt to advance the runner. Derek Woolwine then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Howell to make it 4-0.Missouri Southern found some life in the top of the fifth, putting together a two-run frame. A leadoff single from Cooper Walkoff set the stage for an RBI single from Ethan Clark, while Jacob Filip followed with a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 4-2. However, that would be all the offense the Lions could muster, as Panduro worked out of the inning without further damage before turning the ball over to the bullpen.
From that point on, the Tigers' pitching staff locked in. Panduro (1-1) delivered 6 1/3 strong innings, allowing just two runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking one. Kaleb Carpenter took over in the seventh and slammed the door shut, retiring all five batters he faced with two strikeouts.
While the Tigers had been held scoreless since the fourth inning, they made up for lost time in the eighth, blowing the game wide open with an offensive outburst. Fort Hays State sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning, tallying nine runs on five hits and three walks.
The highlight of the day came with the bases loaded and DeGarmo stepping up to the plate. Already 3-for-3 on the day, the senior third baseman put an exclamation point on his dominant performance, launching a towering grand slam over the left-field fence to end the game in walk-off fashion via the 10-run rule. DeGarmo finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs, a home run, and two runs scored, turning in one of the best performances this season.
Offensively, the Tigers were relentless, tallying 13 hits and showcasing their depth throughout the lineup. Seven different players recorded at least one hit, with DeGarmo, Knox, Woolwine, Howell, and Brady Kreutzer all turning in multi-hit performances. Knox and Woolwine each drove in two runs, while Howell added an RBI double. The Tigers also demonstrated patience at the plate, drawing eight walks and forcing Missouri Southern pitchers to work deep into counts.
With the victory, Fort Hays State solidified its position in the MIAA standings, continuing its impressive start to conference play. The Tigers will look to carry their momentum into next weekend's home series against Central Oklahoma at Larks Park.