HAYS, Ks. – With Alex Crouch on the verge of a career-defining record, Griffon Baseball went scorched earth on the Tigers, blasting five home runs in Saturday's series-clinching win at Larks Park.

Missouri Western's 16-5 run-rule victory in the eighth marks the second-most homers by an MWSU team in a single game. Two of those homers were crushed by Crouch, giving him 14 on the season and tying him with Jeremy Alvarado, Grant Fink and Troy Landi for the most in a season. The last time a Griffon team hit five in one game was on April 4, 2018 in an 11-10 loss at Emporia State. 

The Griffons (10-27, 7-20 MIAA) started their scoring ways in a much simpler way in the first with a Riley Higgins single through the left side that helped bring Brady Holden home after a throwing error by left fielder Grant Schmidt. However, Fort Hays (3-35, 3-24 MIAA) hounded pitcher Zack Cushing for five earned runs in two innings on the mound, giving the Tigers a 5-1 lead. However, the fireworks were just about ready to pop off for Missouri Western in the third inning with Higgins back at the plate.

The Griffon catcher scored Holden on an RBI double down the right-field line, bringing it to a 5-2 FHSU lead. Coming into the at-bat with 12 homers on the season, Crouch smashed a clutch, three-run rocket to right field to tie the game, Hunter Rumachik knocked in the go-ahead run with a single up the middle that scored Brenden Andersen.

Ryan Neise closed out MWSU's rally in the third with an RBI single to left-center field, scoring Caden Kohout. Rumachik and Will Courtney cranked solo shots of their own to right and center field respectively, putting MWSU up 11-5 in the fifth. Up 13-5 in the sixth, Crouch crept into the records books with his 14th home run of the season -- a solo dinger to right-center field.

Jared Munk homered for the second-straight game later that inning with a two-run shot of his own with Andersen on base. Samson Holcomb (2-4) stepped in for the win on the mound with four innings of shutout baseball. 

NOTABLES

• Second-straight series win for MWSU
• Five home runs most since April 4, 2018 at Emporia State (11-10 L)
• Alex Crouch: 3-for-5, 2 HR (14), 4 RBI, 2 R
• Hunter Rumachik: 3-for-5, 1 HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 R
• Jared Munk: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR (3), 1 R
• Will Courtney: 1-for-2, 1 HR (4), 1 R
• Caden Kohout: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

NEXT UP

The Griffons gear up for a doubleheader this Tuesday at 3 and 6 p.m. vs. Quincy (18-16) in St. Joseph at the Spring Sports Complex. The Hawks beat MWSU 6-5 on Feb. 20 but have lost three straight after losing three-out-of-four against the University of Indianpolis.