Complete recaps of Saturday’s games are below.
Washburn 6, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State couldn’t overcome a hot-hitting Washburn squad, falling 6-2 in the first game of the day.
Paxton Duran (10-10) took the loss, tossing three innings with five runs allowed (four earned) on six hits. Duran struck out two and did not walk a batter before Savannah Price entered to toss the final three innings. Price was tagged for one run on four hits, striking out two and walking one.
Samantha Villarreal was 2-for-4 in the game with an RBI, while Erin Elmore, Price and Dobson also had hits for the Tigers.
A solo home run from WU’s Cassidy Merriman gave the Ichabods a 1-0 lead in the first, and another three runs in the second pushed the Tigers’ deficit to 4-0.
Trailing 5-0 in the fourth, Amanda Vaupel took advantage of a WU error and moved to second, but after the Tigers put runners on first and third with two outs, the Ichabods got a ground ball to get out of the jam.
FHSU again threatened in the fifth, loading the bases before a diving stop on a ground ball to second kept the Tigers off the board.
Another home run pushed it to 6-0 in WU’s half of the fifth, beforea late rally in the seventh saw FHSU end the shutout. With bases loaded, Tori Beltz drew a walk to score Courtney Dobson, and Samantha Villarreal singled into right, plating Kylie Strand. That was as close as FHSU came, however, as the rally was cut short.
Washburn 8, Fort Hays State 0
FHSU managed just one hit in the game two loss, falling 8-0 in five innings to the Ichabods.
Kelsey Kimminau (10-9) threw four innings, giving up eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits, and Veronica Knittig had FHSU’s only hit of the game – a single in the
Washburn again struck in the first, taking a 3-0 lead behind a five-hit effort in the inning. WU added another five runs in the fourth to put the game in run-rule territory, and FHSU couldn’t force a continuation in the fifth.
Fort Hays State, now at 21-20 overall and 12-12 in the MIAA, has slipped to eighth place in the MIAA standings. FHSU will have to win at least one game against Nebraska-Kearney on April 24 in Hays in the final conference doubleheader of the year to hold off UNK in the MIAA standings. The top eight teams qualify for the MIAA Tournament. Mathematical possibilities still remain for movement and several ties in the standings, but it looks as though it will come down to the Tigers needing at least one win against the Lopers to punch their ticket to the conference tournament.