FHSU Athletics
EDMOND, Okla. - The Fort Hays State baseball team evened the series with Central Oklahoma with a 9-2 victory on Saturday. The Tigers held the Bronchos scoreless into the eighth inning while scoring at least one run five frames. The Tigers improve to 10-16 on the season and 3-9 in the MIAA while the Bronchos move to 17-7 overall and 7-5 in conference play.
Zach Berg made the start and retired the first six batters he faced. The Tigers got on the board in the third inning as a sacrifice fly from Trey DeGarmo brought in Zach Davis. Emile Boies added to the Tiger lead in the fourth with a solo shot to right field, his second of the series.
FHSU batted around in the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits and one UCO error. Colter Maldonado started off the inning by reaching base on a bunt before swiping second base. A single from DeGarmo moved Maldonado to third and a wild pitch by UCO brought him home. DeGarmo would score on the next play as the catcher mishandled a play at the plate on an infield hit from Isaiah Ural.
Boies later picked up his second RBI of the day on a double down the left field line. After a pitching change by UCO, the Tigers loaded the bases on a pair of walks to Zane Knox and Davis. In the next at bat, Mikey Felton was hit by the pitch bringing the Tiger lead to 6-0.
The Tigers plated two more runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Elliott Herrmann and another RBI double from Boies. The final run for the Tigers was scored in the eighth on a double down the left field line by Davis, scoring Ural and pushing the Tiger lead to 9-0.
Berg (3-1) tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and six walks while striking out five batters. Spencer Maley took the mound the eighth to relieve Berg and close out the game. The Bronchos managed to spoil the shutout with a two-out double down the right field line which plated two runs. Maley returned in the ninth and held UCO at bay to secure the win.
Boies finished 3-for-5 with three RBI while Ed Scott, DeGarmo and Maldonado each recorded multi-hit games.
The series will conclude with the rubber match slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.