By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
PUEBLO, Colo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team split a doubleheader with Adams State on opening day of the 2024 season Thursday (Feb. 1), defeating the Grizzlies 6-2 in the opener before falling in extra innings in game two, 16-14.
The teams combined for 10 home runs on the day, including seven from the Tigers. Brady Kreutzer, Shaun Gomez and Jose Cintron all clubbed two home runs each, while Zane Knox added a huge pinch-hit grand slam in his lone plate appearance of the day.
The Tigers and Grizzlies will wrap up the weekend with another doubleheader Friday afternoon at Hobbs Field inside the Runyon Field Sports Complex, with first pitch in game one set for 1 p.m. (noon MT).
Game 1 – Fort Hays State 6, Adams State 2
Adams State jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first behind a two-run home run, but it didn’t take the Tigers long to respond. After going down in order in the first, Cintron kicked off a one-out rally in the second with a double to left center. Kreutzer followed with a two-run shot to left center, leveling the score at two.
After allowing two runs on three hits in the first inning, Tiger starter Tanner Vaughn settled down over his next three innings of work. The transfer allowed just one more hit over those three innings, striking out four.
Vaughn’s solid start gave the Tiger offense a chance to take control, which is just what they did in the fourth inning. Elliott Herrmann led off with a single to left before Cintron pulled a home run around the left-field foul pole, putting the Tigers up 4-2. Kreutzer followed with his second home run in as many at bats, this time a towering drive to left. Gomez then drew a walk and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout before scoring on a base hit from Cesar Saavedra, pushing the lead to 6-2.
The four-run lead was more than enough for Ty Riley, who came on to close things out. The righty allowed just three hits and did not walk a batter in his three innings of work, striking out three to seal the Tiger victory.
The Tiger defense did not commit an error, finishing off the flawless game with a double play from Armstrong at short to Herrmann at first. Trey DeGarmo flashed the leather at third early and often, totaling five assists and two putouts in seven chances in game one.
Cintron was 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs, while Kreutzer finished 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs driven in and two runs scored. Saavedra also batted 2-for-3, driving in one run.
Game 2 – Adams State 16, Fort Hays State 14
Adams State’s Matt Bathauer opened game two like he did in the first game, with a first-inning home run. The Tigers managed a pair of baserunners in the home half of the first, but were unable to tie things up until Shaun Gomez lifted a solo shot down the left-field line in the bottom of the second.
Game two starter Cade Flaherty settled in after the solo shot in the first, allowing two hits in the second before giving up zero hits over his last three innings of work. He finished the day with 5.0 innings of work, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out one batter.
While Flaherty was keeping the Grizzlies at bay, the Tiger offense got to work building a lead. FHSU took advantage of three walks in the third inning, scoring two runs after a sacrifice fly from Herrmann and a wild pitch. The lead extended to 4-1 in the fifth when Cintron clubbed his second home run of the day, this time a solo shot to center. Cintron’s two-out bomb sparked a rally that loaded the bases, but ASU managed to get out of the inning without any more damage.
After FHSU went to the bullpen, the Grizzlies took advantage of a dropped ball on a would-be force out and a pair of wild pitches in the sixth. ASU scored six runs, five of which were unearned, to jump in front 7-4.
Herrmann drove in his second run of the game in the home half of the sixth, helping the Tigers close within 7-5. Landyn Sterling worked around a single to strand a man at third in the seventh before the ASU bats came alive in the eighth, when the Grizzlies scored seven runs on six singles, one double and two walks.
Instead of folding down 14-5, the Tigers got right to work on a rally. A walk to DeGarmo and singles from Herrmann and Cintron quickly loaded the bases before two runs scored on a passed ball and a balk, making it a one-touchdown game, 14-7. Kreutzer followed with a walk before Gomez mashed his second home run of the game, driving in three to help FHSU close within 14-10.
An error kept the rally going, with two walks later loading the bases with two outs. With a right-handed pitcher at the mound, the Tigers went to Zane Knox to dig into the left-handed batters box. The pinch hitter unloaded on the third pitch he saw, sending a no-doubt grand slam to right field to tie the score at 14.
Andrew Hansen worked around a single to keep the Grizzlies scoreless in the ninth, giving the Tigers a chance to walk it off in the home half of the inning. Cintron appeared to do just that on the second pitch of the inning, sending it soaring into left field. The umpire ruled that a ball that seemed destined to clear the fence hit the top of the wall instead of something past the outfield fence, allowing the Grizzlies to throw Cintron out amidst the confusion. The Tigers were unable to score the rest of the inning before ASU scored two in the 10th to steal the win.
Cintron finished game two 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored, while Gomez batted 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI. Saavedra and DeGarmo each scored three times in the game.