HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State completed a 3-game sweep of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Sunday (Mar. 8) at Larks Park in Hays. The Tigers never trailed in a 10-5 win, leading by as many as eight runs in the game. FHSU improved to 7-13 overall and 4-6 in the MIAA, while UAFS went to 1-17 overall and 0-9 in the MIAA.
 
The Tigers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first on a Derek Woolwine RBI single, but the Lions pulled back even at 1-1 on a Layne Sweat solo homer in the third. From that point, the Tigers scored six unanswered runs with two runs in each of the middle three innings (4^th, 5^th, and 6^th).
 
Dylan Salcido singled home a pair of runs on a chopper up the middle in the fourth. The Tigers scored two in the fifth on pitcher miscues, a run on a wild pitch and a run on a balk. In the sixth, Antonio Avila hit a 2-run homer to make it 7-1.
 
The Lions picked up a run in the top of the eighth, but the Tigers added three more in the bottom half to lead 10-2. Mac Bowie hit a 2-run homer, his first of the season, and Avila drove in a run on a ground out.
 
Tiger starter Brett Jacobs had a very strong performance, going 8.1 innings with just three earned runs allowed. He tried to battle his way to a complete game, but had to hand the ball to Caleb Camp for the last two outs in the ninth. The Lions scored three times in the ninth, although only one of the runs was earned. Jacobs struck out five to earn his first win of the season, throwing 122 pitches.
 
Avila, Woolwine, Salcido, and Justin Lipka all had a two-hit game. All but one Tiger in the lineup scored a run.
 
The Tigers head on the road for their next 11 games, starting with a 3-game series next weekend (Mar. 13-15) at Missouri Western.