Fort Hays State University split with Northwest Missouri State to close out its 10-game homestand on Saturday. The Tigers finished the weekend with a 7-1 loss in game one to NWMSU before claiming a 5-1 win in game two.
FHSU (21-16, 12-8 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) hits the road to begin a 10-game stretch of games away from Tiger Stadium, beginning with a doubleheader on Friday at Emporia State.
Complete recaps of Saturday's games
Northwest Missouri State 7, Fort Hays State 1
Fort Hays State hung tough, but a late push by Northwest Missouri State dealt the Tigers a 7-1 loss in game one.
Paxton Duran (10-8) was tagged for the loss, giving up seven runs (five earned) over 5.1 innings pitched. Duran struck out five and walked eight before Sarah Cochran entered to throw the final 1.2 innings. Cochran finished with one hit allowed and two strikeouts.
Rilee Krier was a perfect 3-for-3 in the game with a stolen base, while Mackenzie Villarreal had two hits and a walk. Amanda Vaupel had the Tigers’ only RBI with a seventh inning single.
Early runs hurt the Tigers, as NWMSU loaded the bases in the first two innings and had runs come home on walks, putting the score at 2-0.
From there, both teams threatened on the offensive end, including bases loaded situations for the Tigers in the second and fourth innings, before the Bearcats tacked on five more runs in the sixth.
Down to its last chance, FHSU rallied with two outs to get on the board, but could muster just one run in the final innings. After Tori Beltz singled to right and was replaced by Gabrielle Sandoval as a pinch runner, Samantha Villarreal singled to move Sandoval to second. Vaupel followed with a line drive single to right center, scoring Sandoval.
Fort Hays State 5, Northwest Missouri State 1
Down early, the Tigers used a four-run fifth inning to rally past Northwest Missouri State and claim a 5-1 win for the split.
Kelsey Kimminau (9-7) threw all seven innings, giving up just one run with two strikeouts in the win.
Kylie Strand, Samantha Villarreal, Mackenzie Villarreal and Krier each had two hits for FHSU, including doubles from Strand and Villarreal. Vaupel’s lone hit of the game was her sixth home run of the season
NWMSU again took an early 1-0 lead, using an RBI double in the second from Kendle Schieber to score Baylee Scarbrough.
FHSU tied it in the fourth behind Mackenzie Villarreal’s RBI single. Samantha Villarreal led off the inning with a double down the right field line prior to Madison Putman replacing her as a pinch runner. With one out, Mackenzie Villarreal drove a 3-2 pitch on the ground into left field, where it skipped past NWMSU’s Lea Crouse and allowed Putman to score.
The Tigers took the lead in the fifth, stringing together six hits for four runs in the inning. After Erin Elmore reached on a fielder’s choice and Beltz singled to left with two outs, Samantha Villarreal came through with an RBI single up the middle, plating Elmore. With two Tigers on base for Vaupel, the senior took the first pitch she saw over the fence in left center for three more runs, making it 5-1.
The Bearcats threated in the seventh, loading the bases thanks to three FHSU errors in the inning, but the Tigers regrouped and hung on for the win.