SHAWNEE, Okla. - The 25^th-ranked Fort Hays State men's soccer team improved to 9-3-1 on Thursday (Oct. 20) with a 3-1 win at Oklahoma Baptist. The Bison dropped to 9-6-1 overall.
 
Oklahoma Baptist struck first and early when it managed to get on the board in the 6^th minute. Jesus Andrade sent a ball into the box that Sam Smith was able to get his head on, and it beat FHSU keeper Alex Rodela for the first goal of the match.
 
The Tigers got the equalizer in the 25^th minute when Luis Mendez scored the first of his two goals on the night. Michael Cole slotted a ball between two defenders that Mendez took and beat the keeper to the left side. Mendez then made it a 2-1 game when he found the back of the net again exactly three minutes later, this time on the receiving end of a Mauricio Castorinio pass that split two defenders.
 
Luis Torres extended the Tiger lead to 3-1 at the 61:31 mark with his seventh goal of the year. Once again Castorino set up the goal, this time on a ball crossed from the left side of the field that Torres took and beat the keeper to the far post.
 
Alex Rodela picked up his second consecutive win for the Tigers and is now 4-0 on the season. He stopped two of the three shots on goal that he faced.
 
The Tigers are back in action on Saturday (Oct. 22) in Bethany, Okla. against Southern Nazarene, looking for their third consecutive win. The match is set for 1 pm.