HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State used three, three-run home runs from Kade Wallace, Ed Scott and Grand Schmidt to power their way to a 12-4 win over Northwest Missouri State Saturday in the first game of their three-game series at Larks Park.
It's the Tigers (6-20, 6-16 MIAA) fourth straight win and the fourth straight game in which they've scored 12 or more runs. The Bearcats (12-18, 10-12 MIAA) have lost three straight.
It also gave head coach Jerod Goodale his 200th career coaching victory.
The Bearcats struck first, scoring a run in the top of the first innings but first baseman Kade Wallace cut down a runner at the plate to end the inning. The Tigers answered with two in the bottom of the inning. After back-to-back errors, Grant Schmidt singled to score Jacob Bouzide to tie the game. Wallace eventually scored on a wild pitch to put the Tigers ahead for good.
Wallace hit the first of the three home runs in the bottom of the second. his fifth homer of the season which put the Tigers up 5-1. Scott made it 8-1 with his blast over to right-center in the third.
Northwest trimmed the lead to 8-4 with a run in the fourth then a two-run homer in the fifth, but the Tigers sealed the deal with four more runs in the bottom of the eighth. After a leadoff 11-pitch at-bat resulting in a single from Griffin Brunson followed by a bunt single from Drake Angeron and a walk by Bouzide, Wallace hit a sacrifice fly which scored Brunson. Schmidt capped the scoring with another three-run blast to left field, his seventh homer of the season.
Starter Jake Campbell (4-3) allowed four runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts over six innings and picked up the win. Jacob Ensz pitched the final three innings for his third save of the season. Ensz scattered three hits with one strikeout.
Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri State will close out their weekend series with a double-header beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday at Larks Park in Hays.