By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Pittsburg State on the final day of the 2024 regular season (April 27), losing 14-2 in the opener before falling 10-9 in the second contest. The Tigers conclude the regular season 25-24 overall and 12-21 in conference play, securing a winning record in the regular season for the first time since 2013. The Gorillas move to 32-16 on the year and 22-11 in league action with the sweep.
With multiple games yet to play around the conference, the Tigers currently sit alone in seventh place in the conference standings. Three teams can match FHSU in the win column, one of which could pass the Tigers in the standings. However, because of the Tigers’ 2-1 series win against Emporia State and their sweep of Northeastern State, FHSU is in a comfortable position to secure its first trip to the postseason since 2013. Final seeds and matchups for the 2024 MIAA Baseball Championship will be announced at the conclusion of the regular season, currently set for Monday afternoon (weather pending).
Game One – Pittsburg State 14, Fort Hays State 2
After rattling off 15 hits in Friday’s series-opening win, the Tiger bats struggled to get going in the opener, compiling just four base knocks. FHSU’s first seven batters were retired, while Pittsburg State took control with three runs in the first and three more in the second. Luis Ayala singled in the third for the first Tiger baserunner, but the catcher was stranded at first before the Gorillas scored two more in the bottom of the inning.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the fifth, but were unable to push across a run. The Gorillas continued to pile on in the bottom of the frame, scoring five more to push their lead to 13-0.
Fort Hays State got on the board in the top of the sixth when Isaiah Ural smacked a one-out single to left. Kyle Morrell followed with a pinch-hit home run to left, driving in the only two runs of the contest for the Tigers. Pittsburg State wrapped up the scoring with one more run in the bottom of the inning.
Ayala, Ural, Morrell and Jose Cintron had the four Tiger base knocks. Rafael Espinoza (4-2) took the loss after allowing eight runs on 10 hits in 2.2 innings. He struck out two batters and did not walk a batter. Brandon Chavez retired both batters he faced, including one strikeout.
Game Two – Pittsburg State 10, Fort Hays State 9
Fort Hays State bounced back offensively in the nightcap, compiling 12 base hits and scoring nine runs. The series finale started in the same manner as the opener – with a Cesar Saavedra home run. Isaiah Uralfollowed with another long ball two batters later, putting the Tigers on top 2-0.
Tiger starter Trevor Baugh worked around two singles in the bottom of the inning thanks to an inning-ending double play. Baugh went on to post five-straight scoreless innings, working around baserunners in each frame.
The Tiger bats added to their lead in the top of the third when Saavedra led off with a single. Ural doubled two batters later before Elliott Herrmann drove in a pair with a single. Trey DeGarmo pushed across two more runs later in the inning with a double down the left-field line, stretching FHSU’s lead to 6-0.
The Gorillas broke through in the sixth, scoring two runs. Landyn Sterling entered the game in a sticky situation, facing the bases loaded with no outs and a 6-2 lead. The junior was up to the challenge, striking out a pair before getting out of the inning with a groundout.
A three-run home run for the home team narrowed the score to 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh, but the Tigers answered right back with three runs in the top of the eighth. Jamison Armstrong led off the frame with a pinch-hit home run right field, his third home run of the season. Trey DeGarmo and Kyle Morrell kept things going with two singles before DeGarmo scored on a wild pitch, pushing the lead to 8-5. Ural later worked a bases-loaded walk, building the lead to four runs.
Three hits and one walk allowed the Gorillas to close within 9-8 in the bottom of the eighth, but Spencer Maley managed to get out of the inning by retiring two of the three batters he faced in the frame, including an inning-ending strikeout.
The Tigers went down in order in the top of the ninth before Maley retired the leadoff man in the home half of the inning. The next Gorilla singled before PSU won the game on a pinch-hit home run to left center, completing the comeback.
Baugh allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five batters in 5.0 innings of work. Sterling struck out two batters in 2.0 innings of work, allowing four runs, while Maley (2-4) took the loss after allowing two runs and striking out one in 1.0 inning of relief. Five different Tigers had two hits, including Saavedra, Ural, Herrmann, DeGarmo and Morrell. Saavedra and Ural both scored twice in the loss.
Friday
The Fort Hays State baseball team picked up a critical series-opening win over Pittsburg State Friday evening (April 26), winning 13-8. The Tigers (25-22, 12-19 MIAA) scored six runs in the first inning and five more in the top of the eighth to seal the road win over the Gorillas (35-11, 21-10 MIAA).
The Tigers set the tone early when Cesar Saavedrahomered on the first pitch of the game, immediately giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. Brady Kreutzer followed with a ground-rule double before Elliott Herrmannworked a four-pitch walk. Jose Cintron added a pair of runs with a triple to right center, pushing the lead to 3-0. Trey DeGarmo followed with an RBI single before Jamison Armstrong later plated a pair on a single of his own, stretching the Tiger lead to 6-0.
Tiger starter Ty Riley worked himself into a jam in the bottom of the first, allowing one walk and two singles to the first three batters. But Riley was able to escape the situation with a pop up and two strikeouts, kickstarting a run of 15-conseutive retired batters by the hard-throwing right hander. He struck out nine of those 15 batters, including striking out five in a row at one point.
The Tigers left a man in scoring position in the second before padding the lead to 7-0 in the top of the third. Sebastian Burgos led off with a single and later scored on another RBI base hit from Armstrong.
Fort Hays State continued to get men on base in every inning, including leaving the bases loaded in the sixth, but the Tigers were unable to scratch across another run. Pittsburg State finally broke through in the sixth when Riley allowed his second hit of the game, a two-run home run that made the score 7-2.
The Black and Gold answered right back in the top of the seventh when DeGarmo and Burgos worked back-to-back one-out walks. Luis Ayala followed with an RBI single up the middle, putting the Tigers on top by six, 8-2.
The Gorillas continued their rally after the seventh-inning stretch, scoring six runs to tie things up at eight thanks to four hits and two walks. Dylan Rinker and Spencer Maley combined to record all three outs via strikeout in the inning, getting out of the frame without surrendering the lead.
Fort Hays State punched back in the top of the eighth, putting up another crooked number with five runs. Brady Kreutzer worked a leadoff walk before Isaiah Uralcrushed a no-doubter soaring over the scoreboard in left center, putting the Tigers back on top, 10-8. Cintron kept things rolling with a one-out double before coming around to score on an RBI single from DeGarmo. Armstrong continued his solid day at the plate, driving in a pair with a two-out double into the right-field corner, giving FHSU a 13-8 lead.
After striking out the final two batters in the top of the seventh, Maley continued to dominate over the final two innings, retiring eight-straight batters to finish off the win. Maley (2-3) earned the win after striking out five batters over 2.2 innings of work, allowing two runs on two hits. Riley finished the game with a season-high 12 strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work, surrendering three runs on three hits and three walks.
Eight different Tigers picked up at least one hit in the win, combing for 15 base knocks. DeGarmo and Armstrong both had three base hits, with Armstrong driving in a team-high five RBI. Kreutzer, Ural and Cintron all had two hits each while DeGarmo and Burgos both scored three runs.