By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
No. 24 Fort Hays State baseball delivered a dominant performance in front of their home crowd Tuesday (March 25), overwhelming Emporia State with an offensive explosion en route to a 15-5 run-rule victory at Larks Park. The Tigers (20-6, 15-2 MIAA) showcased their firepower, piling up 15 runs on 10 hits, with four home runs fueling their offensive onslaught.
The Tigers wasted no time setting the tone, jumping out to an early lead in the first inning. After Cesar Saavedrawas hit by a pitch to start the game, Derek Woolwinelaunched a two-run home run to left field, putting Fort Hays State on top 2-0. Fort Hays State continued to apply pressure in the third inning. Trey DeGarmoreached on a walk and promptly stole second before Woolwine delivered again, crushing his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to center, to extend the Tiger lead to 4-0.
Emporia State answered in the fourth with a power surge of their own, as TJ Racherbaumer tripled to lead off the inning before Noah Steele homered to center. The Hornets kept the momentum going with back-to-back home runs from Cooper Schwindt and Jovanni Toledo, tying the game at 4-4. However, the Tigers quickly regained control in the bottom half of the inning. Saavedra was hit by a pitch for the second time, and Tony Moore followed with a walk to put two runners on. DeGarmo then came through with an RBI single, scoring Saavedra to reclaim the lead. Moments later, Brady Kreutzer ripped a clutch two-run triple, bringing home Moore and DeGarmo to extend the Tigers’ advantage to 7-4.
After the Hornets scratched across a run in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-5, the Tigers’ offense erupted again in the sixth. With two outs and Saavedra, Woolwine and Kreutzer on base, Zane Knox launched a grand slam home run to right field, extending the lead to 11-5.
The Tigers put the game away in the seventh in dramatic fashion. A leadoff walk from Luis Ayala, a bunt single from Cooper Howell and a Saavedra walk set the stage for Tony Moore. The freshman from Hoisinton, Kan. delivered the final blow with a grand slam to right-center, sealing the 15-5 run-rule victory. Moore finished with four RBIs on the day, joining Woolwine, Knox and Kreutzer as Tigers with multi-RBI performances.
Mike Acierno started on the mound for the Tigers, while Brett Jacobs was solid in relief, allowing just one unearned run over 3.2 innings while the Tigers’ offense took control. Woolwine, Knox, and Moore led the offensive charge with home runs, while Kreutzer provided a key two run triple..
With the win, Fort Hays State further cemented its place atop the MIAA standings, continuing its impressive conference run. The Tigers will look to carry their momentum into their upcoming series against No. 3 Central Missouri as they aim to build on their dominant performance.