By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State scored runs in all but one inning for an 11-4 win over Colorado Christian on Sunday (Feb. 10) morning. The Tigers pounded out 12 hits and picked up their first win of the season moving to 1-2 overall, while the Cougars dropped to 2-3 on the season.
Five consecutive singles by Terran Caldwell, Katie Adler, Grace Philop, Bailey Boxberger, and Sara Breckbill to open the bottom of the first inning instantly put the Tigers up 3-0. Boxberger drove in two on her single, and Breckbill drove in one. The lead grew to 4-0 when Breckbill stole second and a throwing error allowed Boxberger to score from third. Allison Jurgensen and Megan Feiner drew back-to-back walks to load the bases again and Lily Sale capped a five-run first inning for FHSU with a sacrifice fly RBI to right field.
A throwing error by the pitcher on a batted ball by Caldwell in the second inning led to another Tiger run. Adler walked and then Philop moved both Tiger runners up a base with a ground out. Boxberger picked up her team-best third RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly RBI, making it 6-0.
Tiger starting pitcher Michaelanne Nelson allowed just one hit through the first two innings, but ran into a bit of trouble in the third when a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for CCU. The Cougars picked up their first run of the game on a sacrifice fly, but a ground out to follow ended the chance of any big rally. FHSU led 6-1 going to the bottom half of the third.
The Tigers had their first two batters in the third reach base. A nice sacrifice by Caldwell moved the runners up and the Adler capitalized with an RBI single to make it 7-1. FHSU put together a two-out rally in the fourth inning when Jeni Mohr made it 8-1 with an RBI double and Caldwell backed it up with a two-RBI double, pushing the lead to 10-1.
The Tigers almost closed out the Cougars in the fifth by run rule, but the Cougars put together a late-inning rally to get the score margin back inside eight. A ground out that produced the second out of the inning made it 10-2, but a Stephanie Day single brought in a run from third to make it 10-3. Charlotte Romero followed with an RBI double down the left-field line, making it 10-4. Coach Adrian Pilkington decided at that point to turn the ball over to Hailey Chapman in relief. Nelson picked up her first win at FHSU in 4.2 innings of work, allowing all four CCU runs on six hits and two walks.
Elise Capra, who entered the game as a pinch runner for Breckbill in the fourth and then remained in the game to catch, smashed a ball over the left field wall in the fifth to produce the game’s final run.
Hailey Chapman was spotless in relief for the second straight day, going 2.1 innings and facing the minimum amount of batters. She struck out three. In four innings of relief work this year, she has faced the minimum amount of batters (12) without allowing a hit or walk.
The Tigers head back to Bentonville, Arkansas next weekend for the 8-State Classic on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Feb. 15-17). Keep an eye on fhsuathletics.com for any alterations to the schedule.
Tiger Notes
-All but one batter in the Tiger starting lineup Sunday produced at least 1 hit in the game.
–Elise Capra hit her first collegiate home run in the 5th.
-Six of the nine players in the Tiger starting lineup had at least 1 RBI in the game.
–Terran Caldwell had a 3-hit game and now leads the team in batting average for the season at .500.
–Hailey Chapman has allowed nothing with 3 strikeouts in 4.0 innings of relief work this year, facing the minimum 12 batters.