PITTSBURG, Kan. – Fort Hays State continued its strong season with a gritty 5-4 comeback victory over Pittsburg State on Sunday (March 23) afternoon at Al Ortolani Field. The Tigers overcame an early deficit and relied on a clutch home run from Derek Woolwine, along with strong relief pitching from Kaleb Carpenter and Brandon Chavez, to secure the win.
Pittsburg State wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first. Alex Rodgers led off with a triple to right-center, putting immediate pressure on Tigers' starter Trevor Baugh. Rickey Sanchez capitalized with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Rodgers to give the Gorillas a 1-0 lead.
Fort Hays answered in the third inning. After Cooper Howell reached on a single and Cesar Saavedra followed with a hit of his own, a wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position. Trey DeGarmo came through with a single up the middle, plating Saavedra to even the score at 1-1.
Pittsburg State quickly regained the lead in the bottom half of the third. Rodgers, who was a sparkplug at the top of the lineup, reached again—this time with a single to left. He swiped second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sanchez. Moments later, Bugner dropped a bunt single, allowing Rodgers to cross home and put the Gorillas back in front, 2-1.
The Gorillas tacked on two more runs in the fifth. Rodgers drew a walk and advanced to third on a single by Sanchez. Bugner continued his hot day at the plate with another RBI single, scoring Rodgers. Later in the inning, Hayden Dyer added a sacrifice groundout to drive in Sanchez, extending Pittsburg State's lead to 4-1.
Despite the three-run deficit, Fort Hays refused to back down. In the top of the sixth, Woolwine started the rally with a single through the right side. Kreutzer followed with a base hit of his own, putting two aboard with no outs. Elliott Herrmann then delivered a clutch RBI single up the middle, scoring Woolwine to cut the deficit to 4-2. Kreutzer later came home on a fielder's choice by Luis Ayala, making it a one-run game at 4-3.
The Tigers took their first lead of the game in the seventh in dramatic fashion. Saavedra ripped a double to left to start the inning, setting the stage for Woolwine. The senior first baseman launched a two-run homer over the right-field wall, flipping the script and giving Fort Hays a 5-4 lead.
Once the Tigers took the lead, the bullpen took control. Kaleb Carpenter entered in the fifth inning and silenced Pittsburg State's offense, tossing 2.2 scoreless frames while striking out five and allowing just two hits. Brandon Chavez came in for the eighth and picked up a crucial six-out save, his eighth of the season. He worked a flawless eighth and, after issuing a one-out walk in the ninth, retired Rodgers and Sanchez to secure the win.
Key performances include Derek Woolwine who led the Tigers offensively, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, including the game-winning two-run homer in the seventh. Cesar Saavedra also had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a double and scoring twice. Trey DeGarmo drove in a key run in the third, while Elliott Herrmann provided an RBI single in the sixth.
With the win, Fort Hays improved to 19-6 overall and 14-2 in MIAA play, strengthening their hold on first place in the conference standings. The Tigers have been dominant in league play, having won every three-game series so far this season.
