By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
DENVER – Fort Hays State Softball is now 1-3 on the season after a split with Regis University on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 6). The Tigers outlasted the Rangers 10-8 in a wild first contest, and then came up on the short end of a 4-2 score in game two.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 10, Regis 8
Fort Hays State jumped out to a 6-0 lead after an inning and a half, only to see Regis rally back and eventually tie the first contest 7-7 in the fourth. The Tigers took the lead again in the fifth with a single run and then tacked on two in the sixth. Regis countered with only one run in the bottom of the sixth and the Tigers held on for the win.
Jessica Espinoza opened the game with a single and then Sarah Tiffany walk, which immediately set up Loren Beggs who laced a 2-RBI double to the right center gap. FHSU led 2-0 after an inning. In the second, Emily Jordan walked, Adysen Burghart reached on an error, and Espinoza walked to load the bases. Sarah Tiffany promptly unloaded them with a rocket shot over the center field wall for a grand slam, pushing the Tiger lead to 6-0.
Regis loaded the bases to open the bottom of the second and eventually scored its first run on a sacrifice fly. However, a well place single at the feet of pitcher Morgan Schmidt plated another run, and then she surrendered a three-run home run that instantly brought the Rangers within a run at 6-5.
Both Lindsey Kelly and Espinoza were plunked in the fourth, which eventually set up a double steal opportunity. Tiffany swiped second and Kelly took home on the throw down to second, pushing the Tiger lead back to two at 7-5. In the bottom of the fourth, the Tigers could have escaped with no damage, but a dropped fly ball with two outs allowed a pair of runs to score and tie the game.
In the fifth, Regan Curry walked and stole a base to set up an RBI single back up the middle by Madison Pierce, putting the Tigers back on top by one. Regan Curry extended the Tiger lead to 10-7 with a 2-RBI double in the sixth. The Rangers scored their final run on a solo home run in the sixth.
Erika Flynn picked up a win in her first appearance in the pitching circle for the Tigers. She took the ball from Schmidt at the start of the third inning and held the Rangers to three runs (just one earned) in her four innings of work and struck out three. Schmidt came back in to pitch in the seventh and worked a 1-2-3 inning for her first collegiate save. She finished with one strikeout in three innings of work.
Game 2: Regis 4, Fort Hays State 2
Regis did all of its damage in the second inning of game two. The first two Ranger batters of the inning reached base and moved up on a sacrifice bunt. An RBI single produced the first run, and then a two-out three run home run accounted for the remaining three runs scored by Regis.
Sara Breckbill did all of the scoring damage for Fort Hays State, hitting a solo home run to right field in the fourth and then an RBI double in the fifth. The Tigers were able to load the bases with two outs in the seventh for a chance at a late rally, but a strikeout ended the game. The Tigers had only three hits in the contest, the two by Breckbill and one by Loren Beggs.
Savanah Egger threw her second-straight complete game effort, though she was on the short end of the final score again. She allowed six hits and struck out three, keeping the Rangers scoreless in five of the six innings she was in the circle. Megan Loveland threw the first five innings for Regis to get the win and Katherine Raper threw the final two for a save.
Fort Hays State is scheduled to return to action on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 11-12) next week in their first of two straight weekend trips to the Oklahoma City area. The Tigers will play four contests (two Friday, two Saturday) against opponents from the Great American Conference and Lone Star Conference.
Saturday
DENVER – Fort Hays State Softball started the 2022 season with a pair of setbacks at MSU Denver on Saturday (Feb. 5). The Roadrunners won game one 8-1 before taking the second game in walk-off fashion by a score of 6-5. It was the first two games of the season for both squads.
Game 1: MSU Denver 8, Fort Hays State 1
A big fourth inning turned out to be too much for the Tigers to recover from in the opener of the 2022 season. FHSU initially took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the fourth, but saw the Roadrunners rally with several extra base hits in the bottom half of the inning.
Fort Hays State manufactured its only run of the game by loading the bases with a Jessica Espinoza single, a Sarah Tiffany walk, and then an error by the Roadrunners. Loren Beggs produced a sacrifice fly down the right field line to score Espinoza from third.
FHSU starter Morgan Schmidt held the Roadrunners scoreless through three innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth surrendering four straight hits that quickly turned into four runs. Three of those hits went for extra bases as MSU Denver vaulted out in front 4-1 in the blink of an eye. Bailey Carlson relieved Schmidt and surrendered a sac fly and another extra-base hit that pushed the advantage to 6-1. The first of those two runs surrendered with Bailey in the circle went on Schmidt’s final line. Carlson settled in to work a scoreless fifth, but allowed two more runs in the sixth.
Espinoza had the only two hits of the game for the Tigers as MSU Denver starter Destinee Lopez threw a complete game and struck out 14 Tigers.
Game 2: MSU Denver 6, Fort Hays State 5
Fort Hays State had MSU Denver down to its last out with a 5-4 lead in the seventh when the Roadrunners won in walk-off fashion on a two-run home run by Hannah DiFabio. FHSU had just taken its first lead of the day in the top half of the seventh.
MSU Denver worked its way out to a 4-0 lead by scoring two in the first, one in the third, and one in the fifth. However, the Tigers came storming back in the sixth thanks to several miscues by the Roadrunners. After a pair of walks by Sydnee Hoffman and Sara Breckbill, Regan Curry singled home the first run for the Tigers. An error then helped the Tigers load the bases and Madison Pierce was hit by a pitch to force in a second run. With Reese Curry at the dish, a wild pitch allowed her sister Regan to score from third, drawing the Tigers within one. The Tigers completed a four-run comeback when a wild pitch scored Sarah Tiffany from third.
The Tigers grabbed their first lead in the top of the seventh when Loren Beggs doubled and advanced on a throwing error to set up a sacrifice fly RBI by Breckbill. However, a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the seventh would ultimately set up the walk-off home run with two outs by DiFabio.
Savanah Egger went the distance for the Tigers in the pitching circle. She struck out four in her complete-game effort. Sarah Norton was in the pitching circle for all but one Tiger out and picked up the win. She struck out six.