BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State softball got its first win of the season, splitting a pair of games at the 8-State Classic on Saturday (Feb. 13). The Tigers won their first game of the day over Minnesota-Duluth 4-0, but fell to Arkansas Tech 7-5 and now tote a record of 1-3 this young season.
Fort Hays State 4, Minnesota-Duluth 0
Paxton Duran claimed a shutout win in the circle and helped herself at the plate going 3-for-4 with a double, a run, and a stolen base. Claudia Vazquez was key table-setter at the top of the lineup reaching base three times with a single and two walks. Tori Beltz had two RBI on a single while Chermayne Yago and Samantha Villarreal also had RBI singles.
All four Tiger runs came in the fourth inning. With one out Erin Elmore walked and Ashley Beavers came in to pinch run and stole second. Duran then hit a ball that the pitcher couldn’t field cleanly, advancing Beavers to third. Duran then stole second, giving the Tigers two runners in scoring position with just one out. Rilee Krier walked to load the bases. A force out off the bat of Vazquez left the bases loaded with two outs. Yago then recorded her RBI with a base knock to left and Beltz followed up with her two RBI single in the next at-bat. Villarreal then laced a ball into left field scoring Yago for the fourth run of the inning.
That was all the help Duran needed on her way to the complete-game shutout. Duran allowed only one hit and three walks while recording seven strikeouts in her first win of the season.
Arkansas Tech 7, Fort Hays State 5
The Tigers made a late push but fell two runs short to Arkansas Tech by a score of 7-5. Carrie Clarke bounced back from a rough start Friday holding the Golden Suns to two runs over the first three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth and fifth. She went the distance giving up seven hits, six earned runs, and six walks while getting one strikeout.
Arkansas Tech wasted no time scoring as they got a run in the very first inning. A single by the leadoff hitter Alex Edinger started the game and she eventually came in on a groundout later in the inning.
The Tigers fought back in the third. A single by Vazquez followed by a double from Yago put Fort Hays State in ideal position with runners on second and third with no outs. After a fly ball that wasn’t deep enough to score the runner from third, Samantha Villarreal grounded out to the right side recording an RBI to tie the game. An error on the Golden Suns’ third baseman off the bat of Kylie Strand allowed Yago to score and gave the Tigers the 2-1 lead.
The lead did not last long for the Tigers as Arkansas Tech came right back in the bottom half and knotted the game up at 2-2 after a walk, error, and RBI single.
The Golden Suns did not let up from there, scoring twice in the fourth and three times in the fifth. Samantha Herweck had four of the five RBI for ATU in that stretch. The Tigers found themselves trailing 7-2 going into their last at-bat, but they did not go down without a fight.
Yago led the inning off the seventh with a walk followed by a Beltz single. After a fly out from Villarreal, Strand launched a pitch over the fence in centerfield, cutting the lead to 7-5. That was all the damage for the half inning as the next two batters were retired.
The Tigers were supposed to play two games on Sunday (Feb 14), but due to weather forecasted, Sunday’s play was cancelled. Next up for the Tigers will now be a trip to St. Cloud, Minn., where they will take part in the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament starting on Thursday (Feb. 18).