By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State Softball continued its ascent in the MIAA standings on Saturday (Apr. 24) with a sweep of Northeastern State at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers won game one 5-3, then shutout the RiverHawks 2-0 in game two. FHSU improved to 22-18 overall, 15-7 in the MIAA, while NSU dropped to 21-18-1 overall, 9-12-1 in the MIAA.
Thirteen Tiger seniors were recognized following the game, which included three that saw their final season at FHSU cut short last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 10 that will wrap their careers this season. The 2020 seniors included Alexis Velazquez, Jeni Mohr, and Bailey Boxberger. This year’s senior group includes Grace Philop, Haley Fox, Hannah Gates, Terran Caldwell, Michaelanne Nelson, Lily Sale, Katie Adler, Megan Jamison, Lexi Kagan, and Hailey Chapman.
The wins vaulted Fort Hays State into third place in the MIAA standings. The Tigers will go into the final week of the regular season locked mathematically for a berth in the MIAA Tournament, now it is just a matter of which seed they claim. If they can lock up a position in the the top four of the MIAA standings, they would host a first round three-game series, scheduled for May 6-8. The Tigers are also still mathematically alive in the race for the MIAA regular season title. Central Oklahoma sits atop the MIAA standings at 18-4, Central Missouri is 17-5, and FHSU is 15-7. The Tigers go on the road to Newman University and Central Oklahoma next week.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 5, Northeastern State 3
Fort Hays State delivered a big blow early and held on to win the first contest of the day. The Tigers scored four runs in the first inning, started by an RBI by Sara Breckbill on a groundout. Loren Beggs instantly made it 4-0 right afterwards with a 3-run blast down the left field line. The Tigers loaded the bases to start their half of the first with a Katie Adler walk and singles by Lily Sale and Grace Philop.
Northeastern State plated its only earned run of the game in the second inning on a fielder’s choice that scored a runner from third. Otherwise, starting pitcher Michaelanne Nelson navigated traffic on the bases for the majority of the game and repeatedly worked out of danger.
The Tigers pushed their cushion back to four runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Sarah Tiffany. Philop and Beggs singled earlier in the inning to set up the run-scoring opportunity.
The RiverHawks picked up a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning, benefitting from a pair of errors by the Tigers. Nelson went on to retire the NSU side in order in the seventh to pick up her 10th victory of the season in a complete-game effort. She scattered nine hits and walked three, but struck out eight for the second straight game. Gail Young also threw a complete game for NSU, allowing five runs on nine hits and two walks. She struck out five.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 2, Northeastern State 0
Hailey Chapman continued her recent strong efforts in the pitching circle by producing her second shutout in her last three outings. She mowed through Northeastern State’s first six batters, picking up four of her seven strikeouts for the game in that stretch. She stopped an NSU threat of runners at second and third in the third inning with a flyout and did the same again in the sixth with runners at first and second. NSU had the potential tying run at the plate with two outs in the seventh, but another flyout sealed the shutout for Chapman.
The Tigers scratched out their first run in the fourth inning to snap a scoreless stalemate between the teams. With the bases loaded, Loren Beggs avoided a tag to score on a wild pitch. Later in the sixth, Beggs continued her strong day by launching a solo home run to left field, her second dinger of the day.
Chapman scattered five hits and walked one to pick up her third shutout and 11th victory of the season. Jenna Chassie of NSU allowed just three hits to the Tigers, but walked five. She struck out six in her six innings of work.
Fort Hays State will play a doubleheader at Newman University on Friday (Apr. 30) and then Central Oklahoma on Saturday (May 1).
Friday
Fort Hays State Softball played to a split with Rogers State on Friday (Apr. 23) at Tiger Stadium in a pair of low-scoring, well-pitched games. Rogers State took the first contest 2-0, but FHSU responded with a 3-1 win in game two. The Tigers are now 20-18 overall, 13-7 in the MIAA, while Rogers State moved to 24-13-1 overall, 12-8 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Rogers State 2, Fort Hays State 0
Michaelanne Nelson of Fort Hays State and Andrea Morales of Rogers State, two of the top pitchers in the MIAA, engaged in a duel in the pitching circle in game one. The pitchers combined for 13 scoreless half innings, but Rogers State broke through for the game’s only runs in the third inning and held on for the win.
Both teams went hitless in the first two innings, but the Hillcats broke through in the third on a leadoff double by Brielle Tyseling. With one out, Tailee Reding put Rogers State on the board with a single back up the middle to plate Tyseling. The Hillcats would get one more run on a throwing error by the Tigers, so only the first run of the inning was earned.
That was enough for Andrea Morales, the MIAA leader in ERA and strikeouts, who tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout against the Tigers. She struck out nine, but the Tigers did have solid chances to score runs. They had a golden opportunity to get one or two runs in the fifth with runners at second and third with one out. However, Morales got two of her strikeouts to end the threat. The Tigers got their first two batters aboard in the sixth, only to strikeout, pop up, and strikeout again to end another threat. Morales retired the Tigers in order in the seventh to complete her shutout.
Nelson took a tough-luck loss as she allowed one less hit than Morales, holding the Hillcats to just three. Unfortunately, two of the three generated the only earned run in the game. Nelson struck out eight Hillcat batters and allowed just two walks.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 3, Rogers State 1
Hailey Chapman produced another strong outing in the pitching circle to give the Tigers a much-needed split for their second-straight doubleheader. On offense, the Tigers needed just one big blow delivered by Elise Capra in the second inning on a 3-run home run.
Loren Beggs started the rally for FHSU in the second inning with a single to leadoff the inning. Jessica Espinoza sacrificed her up to second base, then Sarah Tiffany drew a walk to put two aboard. Capra stepped to the plate and mashed a towering drive over the left field wall for an instant three runs for the Tigers.
Chapman surrendered her only run to the Hillcats in the sixth on a bases-loaded ground out, but she ended the threat by getting a pop up to end the inning. She went on to retire the final 13 batters of the game, holding down any chance of a Hillcat comeback. She finished with five strikeouts in her complete-game effort, scattering six hits with no walks.
Delanie Freeze took the loss for Rogers State, pitching just the first two innings. She struck out two. M’Kayla Hillman pitched the final four innings for Rogers State and allowed one hit, one walk, and struck out one.
Fort Hays State will enter Saturday’s doubleheader with Northeastern State in a tie for fourth place in the MIAA standings with Missouri Western, both at 13-7. Rogers State remained in sixth at 12-8.