By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Fort Hays State won a pair of non-conference games against Pittsburg State on Friday (Mar. 1), moving to 7-4 overall on the season. The Tigers won by scores of 5-4 and 6-0, led by a 5-for-7, two home run, five RBI day from Bailey Boxberger and a complete-game shutout from Hailey Chapman. Pittsburg State dropped to 7-8 overall.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 5, Pittsburg State 4
A solo home run by Bailey Boxberger in the seventh inning proved to be the game winner for Fort Hays State in the first contest of the afternoon. Boxberger finished the game 4-of-4 at the plate with 2 RBIs.
The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead on Boxberger’s first RBI of the game, a single up the middle that plated Grace Philop in the first inning. Pittsburg State countered with a pair of runs on a two-out, two-RBI single by Makenzie Goswick in the bottom half of the inning. That produced the only lead of the day by the Gorillas, a 2-1 advantage after an inning.
Philop instantly pushed the Tigers back in front in the second inning with a bases-clearing, two-out double to left center field. Jeni Mohr, Lily Sale, and Katie Adler all came in to score on the play.
Philop’s double in the second stood as the game’s decisive hit until the sixth when Pittsburg State rallied for a pair of runs to tie the game at 4-4. Michaelanne Nelson settled into the circle during the second through fifth innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth when the Gorillas opened the inning with a single, RBI double, and a walk. Hailey Chapman took over in the circle and hit the first batter she saw, which loaded the bases with no outs. Chapman got a strikeout before a grounder to second base tied the game. Chapman escaped further damage by getting another strikeout to end the threat.
Already 3-for-3 at the plate, Boxberger blasted her solo homer to left field in the seventh to push the Tigers back in front and then Chapman mowed through the heart of the Gorilla order in the bottom half of the inning with a strikeout, flyout, and another strikeout. Chapman picked up the win for FHSU in relief, moving to 3-2, with her only runner allowed being the batter she hit in the sixth. It was just the start of a dominating day for Chapman in the circle. Nelson went 5.0 innings in her start, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out four.
Shelby Smith took the loss for PSU, moving to 3-3 on the season. She allowed 11 hits and three walks with three strikeouts in her complete game effort.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 6, Pittsburg State 0
Already warmed up from getting the final six outs of game one, Hailey Chapman continued to navigate through the Gorilla lineup by hurling a four-hit complete game shutout in game two. She struck out five and did not allow any walks.
Chapman locked in a pitcher’s duel with Sierra Thompson for the first three innings as the teams went into the fourth inning scoreless. The Tigers finally solved Thompson in the fourth when they strung together four consecutive singles by Megan Feiner, Jeni Mohr, Lily Sale, and then Terran Caldwell. Caldwell’s bases-loaded, two-RBI single up the middle with two outs broke the scoreless tie and put the Tigers up 2-0.
A Grace Philop single and Sara Breckbill walk to open the fifth inning put an end to Thompson’s day in the circle handing the ball to game-one starter Shelby Smith. Her first challenge in relief was the person she could not get out in game one, Bailey Boxberger. The trend continued as Boxberger launched a ball over the right field wall for a three-run home run, pushing the Tiger lead to 5-0. Boxberger finished the day 5-for-5 against Smith, reaching base all six times against her in the doubleheader with two home runs, three singles, and a walk.
Breckbill tacked on an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI double, but it was plenty for Chapman in her march toward a complete-game win. Chapman retired the side in order in three of the seven innings. Chapman moved to 4-2 on the season by picking up the win in both games.
Tiger Notes
–Bailey Boxberger went 5-for-7 at the plate with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. She was 5-for-5 against Shelby Smith in the doubleheader and reached base in all six plate appearances against her.
–Hailey Chapman averaged a strikeout per inning, fanning nine over nine innings of work for the day with no runs allowed. She has 31 strikeouts through 28.2 innings of work this season. She had a WHIP of 0.56 for the day.
-Fort Hays State outhit Pittsburg State 23-10 in the doubleheader.
-Seven of Fort Hays State’s 11 runs on the day came with two outs. The two home runs on the day by Boxberger that produced the other four runs came with less than two outs.