By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State split a pair of low-scoring conference games with Missouri Southern on Saturday (Apr. 3) at Tiger Stadium. The winning team scored just two runs in each contest as FHSU won game one 2-1 before falling in game two 2-0. The Tigers are now 13-13 overall and 7-3 in the MIAA, while the Lions moved to 15-11 overall and 6-4 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 2, Missouri Southern 1
Fort Hays State struck first in the second inning when Sarah Tiffany drove home Jessica Espinoza from first base with a double to the right center gap. Missouri Southern tied the game in the fourth benefitting from a leadoff double by Josie Topfi. Leighton Withers followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield.
The Tigers took the lead back in the fifth as Jessica Espinoza led off the inning with a single and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tiffany. Katie Adler then came through with a clutch two-out RBI single up the middle to score Espinoza from second base.
That was enough offense for Michaelanne Nelson, who put together another strong effort in the pitching circle for the Tigers. She scattered six hits and walked two, while striking out five to move to 7-7 on the season. Abby Atkin took the loss for the Lions, allowing just one earned run on five hits and a walk, while striking out two.
Game 2: Missouri Southern 2, Fort Hays State 0
Fort Hays State had golden opportunities to score runs three times in game two, but could never get a run across against Bailey Lacy, who threw a complete-game shutout for the Lions. Lacy allowed five hits and walked two, while striking out three Tigers. She moved to 4-1 on the season.
The Tigers had runners at second and third with one out in the first an a pair of pop ups ended their first threat. They had a runner at second with two outs in the second and came up empty. Finally in the fifth, they had runners in scoring position again at second and third with two outs, but a ground out ended another chance to score. The Tigers produced singles in the sixth and seventh inning, but never advanced the runner into scoring position. Grace Philop led the Tigers with two hits in the game.
Hailey Chapman was perfect in the pitching circle for the first 11 outs of the game until Josie Topfi changed that with a solo home run to left field in the fourth. Topfi continued to be a thorn in the side of the Tigers in the sixth when she plated another run with a double. Chapman threw a complete game, allowing six hits, but took the tough-luck loss. She struck out six and moved to 6-5 on the season.
The Tigers head out to Denver, Colorado on Tuesday (Apr. 6) for a non-conference doubleheader at MSU Denver before returning home for another MIAA doubleheader. The Tigers will host Nebraska-Kearney next weekend at Tiger Stadium.
Friday
Fort Hays State Softball picked up a big
doubleheader sweep of Pittsburg State on Friday (Apr. 2) in the first home
contests of the season at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers held the Gorillas in just a
run in each contest, picking up 7-1 and 5-1 wins. The Tigers leveled their
overall record on the season at 12-12 and improved to 6-2 in the MIAA. The
Gorillas fell to 10-18 overall and 4-6 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Fort Hays State
7, Pittsburg State 1
Michaelanne
Nelson gave the Tigers another strong outing in the pitching
circle, not allowing an earned run in her third straight conference start. The
Tigers gave Nelson plenty of run support, building a 7-0 lead by the fifth
inning. Pittsburg State scored its only run in the sixth on a Tiger error.
Fort Hays State benefitted from a fielding error by Pitt State in the first
inning. A fielding error and then a hit batter loaded the bases for the Tigers.
Grace
Philop brought in a run by drawing a walk and Jessica
Espinoza added an RBI single.
Sara
Breckbill and Philop started a rally for the Tigers in the
third. Breckbill singled and then came all the way around to score on a double
by Philop that sliced into the left field corner. After Espinoza singled and
stole second, Lily
Sale drove in two runs with a single to center field.
The Tigers capped their scoring in the fifth, triggered by a Sale double. A
dropped fly ball off the bat of Sarah
Tiffany put runners at second and third with just one out. Katie
Adler and Loren
Beggs made the Gorillas pay for their error. Adler recorded a
single that deflected off the PSU pitcher to bring home Sale. Beggs knocked in
Tiffany on a sacrifice fly.
Nelson never allowed any Gorilla baserunners past second base prior to the
fifth inning. She stranded runners at second and third in the fifth. Pitt State
had runners at first and third in the sixth when Elise
Capra tried a pickoff attempt at third and the ball went down
the left field line to allow PSU to score its only run. Nelson blitzed through
the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning to end the game.
Nelson scattered six hits and walked just one. She struck out 10 Gorillas,
moving to 6-7 on the season.
Game 2: Fort Hays State
5, Pittsburg State 1
Fort Hays State did all of its offensive damage in the second inning of game
two. Kristen
Reed and Jessica
Espinoza led off the inning with walks, then Lily
Sale placed a perfect bunt for a single to load the bases. Terran
Caldwell drove home two runs with a single to center field. A
walk by Katie
Adler loaded the bases again. Grace
Philop knocked in two more with another single, chasing
Pittsburg State starter Taylor Compton from the game. A Sara
Breckbill single loaded the bases again and the Loren
Beggs drove home a run with a grounder to second base.
Tiger starter Hailey
Chapman escaped bases-loaded jams in both the second and third
innings to keep the Gorillas scoreless. Pitt State’s only run came in the sixth
when Bella Konieczka drove home a run with a single. Chapman scattered eight
hits and walked three, while striking out four. She moved to 6-4 on the season
with the win.