FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team captured a series victory against Colorado Christian on Saturday (April 18), winning the series finale 9-8. The Tigers (14-28) rallied from an 8-4 deficit, scoring the final five runs to secure the win.
The Cougars (10-32) scored first with a solo home run in the top of the first before FHSU answered right away in the home half. Two walks and a single loaded the bases before Dylan Salcido scored on a fielding error.
FHSU took a 4-1 lead with a two-out rally in the second, with Salcido getting things rolling with a single. Garretson Cook followed with an RBI single before Mac Bowie clubbed his third home run of the weekend to straightaway center.
CCU scored two runs on three hits in the third before tying the score on four walks in the fourth. The visitors regained the lead with four runs in the sixth, two of which were unearned.
The Tigers once again started to rally right away when Josh McWilliams, Dylan Haselhorst and Salcido led off the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back-to-back singles. FHSU later worked a pair of bases-loaded walks, helping the Tigers pull within 8-7.
Reliever Cody Bruss worked around a one-out single to post a scoreless seventh before retiring the side in order in the eighth, giving his offense time to take the lead. Cook and Bowie opened the bottom of the eighth with consecutive singles before the pair moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Bret Deegan tied the game with a sacrifice fly before Alvin Santiago drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single through the left side.
A great pickoff move from Bruss recorded the second out in the top of the ninth, but CCU stayed alive with a two-out single and walk. The Tigers then went to the bullpen in Aaron Boutz who promptly induced a ground ball to end the game, earning his first save of the season.
Bruss (3-3) earned the win after tossing 4.2 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out three batters. Deegan made the start, working the first three-plus frames and allowing four runs on six hits. Caleb Camp was first out of the pen, tossing a hitless inning while striking out a pair of Cougars.
Cook and Bowie finished the game with three hits each, with McWilliams and Salcido each adding a pair of base knocks.
The Tigers will play four games on the road next week beginning Tuesday (April 21, 3 p.m.) when they travel to Emporia, Kan. to finish up their midweek series with Emporia State.