FHSU Sports Information Department
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Fort Hays State could not avoid a third consecutive sweep in MIAA play on Sunday as it fell twice at the hands of Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats won by scores of 7-1 and 3-0 as the Tigers went 0-4 on the weekend road trip to Missouri. FHSU is now 13-24 overall and 7-13 in the MIAA, while NWMSU improved to 29-9 overall and 13-5 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Northwest Missouri State 7, Fort Hays State 1
The Bearcats were in full control of the first game, jumping in the lead during the third inning and they never looked back. A two-run double and a run-scoring triple pushed the Bearcats out to a 3-0 lead.
Northwest Missouri put up three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. A pair of Tiger errors in the inning were critical to runners moving extra bases, leading to the three runs.
The Tiger bats struggled all game, only able to scrape together three hits off of Kendle Schieber. FHSU scored their only run of the day in the top half of the sixth. Kylie Strand led off the inning getting hit by a pitch, and ended up on second after a sacrifice bunt from Rilee Krier. Strand then scored after a single from Claudia Vazquez and a throwing error from the Bearcats.
The Bearcats added one more in the bottom of the sixth and held the Tigers scoreless in the seventh to walk away with the 7-1 win.
Paxton Duran took the loss after giving up seven runs (3 earned), on 14 hits, with four strikeouts, in 6.0 innings. Schieber improved to 16-4 on the season by not allowing an earned run, while striking out six.
Game 2: Northwest Missouri State 3, Fort Hays State 0
The Tiger bats were silent once again in game two, going hitless through the first four innings against NWMSU starter Sarah Baldwin. FHSU finally broke through in the fifth when Erin Elmore singled and then had runners at second and third with one out. But a popped up bunt and a foul fly ended a great scoring opportunity for the Tigers in a scoreless game.
Fort Hays State starter Carrie Clarke held the Bearcats hitless through the first three innings, but finally allowed her first hit in the fourth. She ran into trouble in the fifth as Madison Jones broke the scoreless tie with a solo homer to lead off the inning. An error and a double led to another run scoring as the Bearcats led 2-0 through five innings.
Northwest Missouri tacked on an insurance run in the sixth with a double and then an RBI single by Jones. Singles by Courtney Dobson and Mackenzie Villarreal in the seventh at least brought the tying run to the plate for FHSU, but a pinch-hitting Paxton Duran grounded out to end the game.
Baldwin allowed just three hits to FHSU and struck out four, moving to 7-4 on the season. Clarke allowed just five hits and two of the three runs were earned. She walked one and struck out one.
The Tigers now look to snap a seven-game losing streak in a non-conference doubleheader at Newman on Tuesday evening (Apr. 5), starting at 3 pm. With the four losses, FHSU has now slipped to 11th in the MIAA standings and will need to play well at home next weekend (Apr. 8-9) in doubleheaders against Emporia State and Washburn to get back into the mix of staying alive for the MIAA Tournament. FHSU has only three conference doubleheaders remaining on the schedule.