FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team picked up a second-consecutive win over a ranked opponent on Friday (March 14), defeating No. 29 Central Oklahoma 4-3 in extra innings. The Tigers improve to 14-5 overall and 9-1 in MIAA contests, while the Bronchos dip to 16-6 on the year and 6-4 in league games.
Four days after ending a 13-2 win over No. 25 Missouri Southern with a walk-off grand slam, Trey DeGarmo again delivered in the clutch, punching an RBI single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Tigers the win.
The contest started off as a pitcher's duel between FHSU's Ty Riley and UCO's Brett Pense. The starters combined to scatter six hits and just two earned runs across 13 innings of work.
Fort Hays State collected its first hits in the bottom of the third when Cesar Saavedra and Zane Knox both reached with two-out singles, but Pense got out of the jam with a flyout. Riley did not allow a hit until the fourth inning when UCO scored first on a bases-loaded balk.
The Tigers answered right back with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. Elliott Herrmann led off with a single before DeGarmo reached on a throwing error. Cooper Howell plated the tying run with an RBI groundout before Brady Kreutzer crushed a 1-2 pitch off the wall in left field, driving in the go-ahead run with a double.
Riley hit two batters with a pitch over the next two frames but retired the other six batters he faced, turning a 2-1 lead over to the bullpen in the seventh.
After giving up the lead, Pense retired nine in a row and seemed to be cruising before Jamison Armstrong sent an 0-1 pitch sailing over the fence in right field, putting the Tigers in front 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh.
Kaleb Carpenter was first out of the bullpen for FHSU, allowing one hit in the seventh before giving up two singles in the top of the eighth. Brandon Chavez came on to get out of inning with back-to-back strikeouts, allowing FHSU to go to the ninth up by two.
Central Oklahoma managed to tie things up in the top of the ninth with two runs on three hits, but Chavez got out of the inning with runners on the corners with his fourth strikeout of the game.
Fort Hays State was able to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but a diving stop and perfect throw from the UCO third baseman sent things to extra innings.
Chavez continued to deal, striking out the side in the 10th to give FHSU a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the inning. Knox worked a leadoff walk on seven pitches before Derek Woolwine laid down a sacrifice bunt. The Bronchos chose to intentionally walk Herrmann, bringing DeGarmo to the plate. The senior swung at the first pitch, sending it past a diving short stop and allowing Knox to score from second.
Riley did not factor into the decision after allowing one run on one hit and three walks over 6.0 innings of work, striking out four. Carpenter allowed three hits but did not give up a run in 1.1 innings of relief, while Chavez (3-0) picked up the win after striking out seven batters over 2.2 innings of work. Chavez allowed two runs on three hits and did not walk a batter.
UCO's Pense finished with a line of four strikeouts, five hits, zero walks and three runs (one earned) over 7.0 innings of work.