By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
ADA, Okla. – The Fort Hays State baseball team completed a series sweep at East Central Saturday (Feb. 10), taking both ends of a doubleheader, 4-3 and 5-1. FHSU improves to 6-2 on the year, while ECU is now 1-8 on the season.
It was the first sweep in a four-game series for FHSU since 2020 (2/14-16 vs. New Mexico Highlands).
Fort Hays State pitchers racked up 22 strikeouts across the two wins, while FHSU batters struck out just eight times on the day.
Jose Cintron, Brady Kreutzer and Isaiah Ural all collected three hits on the day, with Cintron driving in a team-high three RBI and Ural scoring three runs.
Next up for Fort Hays State is the first home series of the season when FHSU hosts New Mexico Highlands in a pair of doubleheaders next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 16-17).
Game 1 – Fort Hays State 4, East Central 3
The doubleheader started with a bang when Ural legged out an inside-the-park home run with two outs in the top of the first. The center fielder sent a liner to right field, where the ECU defender was unable to reach the ball despite a diving effort. The ball rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Ural to circle the bases just before the throw came into the plate.
East Central settled in, posting zeros in the second and third inning before taking its first lead of the series in the home half of the third. Fort Hays State answered back with an unearned run in the top of the fourth, tying the score at four, before a two-run home run off the bat of Elliott Herrmann put FHSU in front for good.
Trevor Baugh (1-0) came out of the pen in the third inning and silenced the ECU bats the rest of the way, allowing just one hit and one walk in 4.1 innings of relief while striking out eight. He retired the first eight batters he faced before allowing an unearned run in the sixth. The righty bounced back by mowing down the side in order in the seventh, securing his first win of the season.
Game 2 – Fort Hays State 5, East Central 1
Fort Hays State struggled at the plate early in game two, failing to record a hit over the first three innings. FHSU starting pitcher Rafael Espinoza picked up the slack, allowing just four hits without giving up a run over the first five innings.
The visitors got on the board first in the top of the fourth when Ural led off with a double. He later scored on a single from Cintron before Kreutzer doubled the lead with a double to left.
Cintron and Kreutzer both came through with RBI base hits again in the fifth, helping FHSU push the lead to 5-0. Two singles an intentional walk to Herrmann loaded the bases with two outs for Cintron. The second baseman drove in a pair with a single to left before Kreutzer added another run with a single of his own.
East Central strung together a trio of hits in the sixth to get on the board, closing within 5-1, before Spencer Maley came in to slam the door. The reliever allowed three hits in 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out six batters to earn his first save of the season.
Espinoza (1-0) finished with a line of 6.0 innings pitched, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. Cintron, Kreutzer and Cesar Saavedra all had two hits in the win.
Friday
The Fort Hays State baseball team picked up a doubleheader sweep of East Central Friday afternoon (Feb. 9), winning 7-2 in the opener before taking the nightcap 6-2.
Game 1 – Fort Hays State 7, East Central 2
A pair of solid defensive plays helped FHSU to a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first, with Isaiah Ural making a diving catch in center field and Jamison Armstrongmaking a leaping catch at short.
FHSU starter Cade Flaherty (1-0) posted five more zeros on the scoreboard, retiring the side in order three times in 6.0 scoreless innings of work. The righty picked up the win after striking out six batters and allowing four hits, all singles, and just one walk.
FHSU left a pair of runners on base in the second before scoring the first runs of the game in the third when a pitch hit Armstrong to lead things off. Jose Cintron followed with a single before the pair moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt. The first two runs crossed the plate on a passed ball and a wild pitch before Elliott Herrmann made it a 3-0 lead with a home run to right center.
Fort Hays State added an unearned run in the fourth when Luis Ayala reached on an error. The catcher moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch before scoring on a two-out base hit from Cintron, giving the visitors a 4-0 lead.
A three-run home run from designated hitter Shaun Gomez plated Brady Kreutzer and Reid Baty in the fifth inning, putting FHSU in front 7-0.
East Central managed a pair of runs on three hits off the FHSU bullpen, but Andrew Hansen came on to pick up a pair of strikeouts to slam the door.
Cintron and Kreutzer each had two hits in the win, with Gomez driving in a team-high three RBI.
Game 2 – Fort Hays State 6, East Central 2
Fort Hays State struck first in the top of the first after two walks and a beaned batter loaded the bases with one out. Kreutzer plated the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to deep center. East Central responded with an unearned run in the home half of the inning before both teams left runners in scoring position in the second.
The black and gold Tigers manufactured a pair of runs in the fourth after Kreutzer led off with a double off the wall in left. Gomez put runners at the corners with a single before Zane Knox put FHSU on top 2-1 with an RBI groundout. Two walks loaded the bases for Cintron who added another run with an RBI fielder’s choice.
East Central tried to mount a two-out rally in the fourth thanks to a single and two walks, but Tanner Vaughncame out of the pen to shut things down, recording the final out with a strikeout on three pitches.
The orange Tigers closed within 3-2 after scoring a run in the fifth before Fort Hays State tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth. Knox worked a leadoff walk before Armstrong lifted a two-run home run over the fence in right. Cintron followed with a double to center before coming around to score when Ural beat out an infield single, giving FHSU a 6-2 edge.
Fort Hays State had multiple scoring chances in the late innings, leaving the bases loaded in the seventh and ninth. But the Fort Hays State defense sealed the deal, turning double plays in the eighth and ninth before Vaughn secured the win with his eighth strikeout of the game.
Vaughn (2-0) picked up his second win of the season after allowing one run on three hits across 5.1 innings of relief. Gomez collected three hits in the win while Knox and Armstrong both worked a trio of walks.