The 24th-ranked Fort Hays State baseball team evened up its series with No. 3 Central Missouri Saturday afternoon (March 29) with a 9-4 road victory. The Tigers (21-7, 16-3 MIAA) never trailed in the contest, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning before piling on six runs over the final three frames. The five-run loss is the largest margin of defeat for the Mules (21-7, 12-4 MIAA) this season.
The Tigers struck early with three runs on three hits in the top of the first. Cesar Saavedra was hit by a pitch on the fourth delivery of the game before Hoisington's Tony Moore reached on a single. Trey DeGarmo then drove in the pair with a ground-rule double to right center, giving Fort Hays State a 2-0 lead. Derek Woolwine kept things rolling with a single to center, plating DeGarmo to push the advantage to 3-0.
With the game tied at 3, the visitors regained the lead in the top of the seventh when Luis Ayala drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the inning. Elliott Herrmann followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position, but the next two batters were retired. Down to the last strike of the inning, Moore yanked a triple into left center past a diving Mule, plating a pair and giving the Tigers a 5-3 lead. DeGarmo kept the line moving with a single up the middle, pushing FHSU's lead to 6-3.