By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
TOPEKA, Kan. – Fort Hays State picked up another split on Sunday (Feb. 27) at the Washburn Invitational. The Tigers could not cash in on several offensive opportunities in a 4-1 loss to Southwest Minnesota State, but they bounced back for a 10-7 win over University of Mary. The Tigers have now had five consecutive splits on their last five dates of competition.
Southwest Minnesota State 4, Fort Hays State 1
Erika Flynn started Fort Hays State’s first contest by no-hitting Southwest Minnesota State through four innings. Meanwhile, the Tigers offense was able to produce baserunners in the second, third, and fourth innings, but could not find a run as the game remained scoreless going to the fifth.
Flynn ran into some trouble in the fifth when she allowed a leadoff walk and then a well-placed bunt single that broke up her no-hit bid. After a sacrifice bunt, the Mustangs scored the game’s first run on an RBI grounder on the infield. Since the throw was offline, SMSU kept two on base with a 1-0 lead. An RBI single made it 2-0 and then a sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 3-0. Morgan Schmidt relieved Flynn in the fifth and got the Tigers out of the inning without further damage. Flynn finished with just two hits allowed in 4.1 innings of work, but would come up on the short end of the pitching decision in the game.
The Tigers got runners to second and third with no outs in the fifth, but came up empty. A pair of singles off Schmidt in the sixth gave the Mustangs a 4-0 lead.
FHSU made a big threat in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with one out on three consecutive singles by Betsy Parmley, Jessica Espinoza, and Lindsey Kelly. Kiana Blake brought Fort Hays State’s only run home on a fielder’s choice RBI grounder. Loren Beggs stepped to the plate as the game’s tying run, but hit a sharp lineout to right field to end the game.
Shelby Bloemendaal picked up a complete-game win for SMSU in the circle. She allowed 10 hits and walked one, while striking out two.
Fort Hays State 10, Mary 7
The Tigers had two big offensive innings and held on in an offensive contest that saw 26 hits between the teams. Fort Hays State outhit Mary 15-11 as Loren Beggs and Jessica Espinoza each had three hits.
Fort Hays State strung together five straight singles to open the third inning, which led to a 5-0 lead. Kiana Blake, Sara Breckbill, Beggs, and Espinoza all had RBI singles in the inning. Madison Pierce produced a sacrifice fly RBI.
Mary chipped away at the lead by scoring two in the third and one in the fourth to make it 5-3, but the Tigers stretched their lead once more with four runs in the fifth. Breckbill scored the first run on a wild pitch, while Espinoza, Regan Curry, and Betsy Parmley all had RBI singles.
The Marauders made things interesting once again when Haley Berube hit a grand slam, instantly bringing the Tiger lead back to just two at 9-7 after five innings. The Tigers tacked on their final insurance run in the sixth on another Pierce sacrifice fly RBI.
Savanah Egger pitched 3.2 innings in a start, but was an out shy of qualifying for the win. She allowed the first three runs to the Marauders and struck out three. Morgan Schmidt pitched 0.2 innings of relief and allowed four runs, but was able to qualify for the win with FHSU still in the lead. Bailey Carlson turned out to be the stopper for FHSU, holding Mary scoreless over the final 2.2 innings to pick up a save. She allowed just two hits and struck out one.
Mary used three different pitchers in the game and the loss went to starter Emari Evans, who lasted just 2.2 innings in her start.
Fort Hays State will close out the Washburn Invitational with another pair of games on Monday (Feb. 28), taking on Sioux Falls and Wayne State (Neb.) at 10 am and 2 pm. Live stats will be available for both contests.
Saturday
TOPEKA, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball split a
pair of games to open the Washburn Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 26). The
Tigers opened the day with a 6-3 win over St. Cloud State, but fell on a late
comeback to Missouri-St. Louis in the nightcap.
Fort Hays State 6, St.
Cloud State 3
Fort Hays State jumped out to an early lead and never let go in their first
contest of the day. Loren
Beggs hit a solo home run in the first inning to put the
Tigers in the lead. FHSU tacked on a couple more runs in the third when Sara
Breckbill made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly RBI and Madison
Pierce had an RBI single to push the lead to 3-0.
Meanwhile in the pitching circle, Savanah
Egger retired the first nine batters of the game, including
four by strikeout. An error by the Tigers in the fourth inning put a runner on
right before a St. Cloud State home run to cut the lead to 3-2. However, Egger
went right back to work striking out the next three batters.
Hits by Regan
Curry and Sarah
Tiffany in the fourth led to an RBI for Lindsey
Kelly. Sara
Breckbill then led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a
solo homer to get the Tiger lead back to three at 5-2. Another Tiger error in
the sixth led to another St. Cloud State run on an RBI double, but the Tigers
answered once again in the bottom half of the inning when Kelly scored on a
throwing error by the Huskies.
Egger went on to throw a complete game and struck out nine. She allowed just
four hits and one earned run. Kylie Thomsen threw the first five innings for
SCSU and allowed just three earned runs. Reliever Emma Eickhoff of SCSU pitched
an inning and gave up one unearned run.
Missouri-St. Louis 7,
Fort Hays State 6
The Tigers had a potential 2-0 day get away from them late when the Tritons of Missouri-St.
Louis rallied late. The Tigers took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh
only to see the Tritons rally to score four runs with the game down to its last
out.
The Tigers built an early 2-0 lead through an inning and a half. Madison
Pierce had an RBI single in the first inning and Kiana
Blake hit her first collegiate home run in the second. In the
bottom half of the inning, the Tritons tied the game with a solo home run and
an error wound up putting another runner on that scored on a sacrifice fly.
The Tigers vaulted back in front in the third when a pair of walks preceded Erika
Flynn’s first collegiate home run, a three-run shot to put the
Tigers up 5-2. FHSU moved up 6-2 in the sixth when Loren
Beggs launched her second solo homer of the day. The Tritons
got that run back in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run of their own.
After a leadoff single and a one-out walk in the seventh, Flynn relieved Morgan
Schmidt in the pitching circle. A pop up to second base gave
the Tigers the second out of the inning with runners still at first and second.
But, the Tritons found some magic late as they strung together three straight
hits to win the game. A double triggered the late rally, which scored two runs.
Another double tied the game, and then a single to left field fell in a good
enough spot to score the runner from second and give the Tritons the game.
Flynn took the loss by allowing the winning run in a short relief stint.
Schmidt pitched the first 6.1 inning and allowed five runs (four earned) on
seven hits with nine strikeouts. Mimi Bradley lasted only 2.2 innings in the
circle for UMSL and allowed five runs to the Tigers. Reliever Annie Scaramuzzi
limited the Tigers to just one run in 4.1 innings of work and struck out nine
to grab a win with her team’s late rally.