By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Fort Hays State fell in both games of a doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State on Sunday (March 10). The Bearcats won by scores of 6-1 and 3-0, improving to 12-10 (3-1 MIAA) on the season. FHSU is now 9-11 (0-4 MIAA).
Game 1: Northwest Missouri State 6, Fort Hays State 1
Northwest Missouri State generated all of its runs on three two-run home runs. Two of those home runs came from Sophie Mayhugh in the second and fourth innings. Lauren Gray added another in the sixth.
Fort Hays State scored its only run in the fifth inning. Singles by Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson and Carly Stukeand then a sacrifice bunt by Regan Curry set up an RBI single by Adysen Burghart. FHSU finished the game with five hits all scattered among different players.
Savanah Egger threw 3.0 innings and allowed six hits. She struck out four. Bailey Carlson relieved for 3.0 innings and allowed three hits, while striking out one. Jaidyn Streigle threw a complete game for the Bearcats with two strikeouts.
Game 2: Northwest Missouri State 3, Fort Hays State 0
The Bearcats hit their fourth home run of the day to produce the first run of game two, a solo shot by Skylar Pieper in the fourth inning. NWMSU added another pair of runs in the fifth with a sac fly RBI and an RBI single.
The Tigers scratched out five hits for the second-straight game, led by Peyton Shepard with two. Morgan Schmidt threw a complete game for the Tigers with five strikeouts, while allowing seven hits and a walk.
Hayden Simmons earned the win for Northwest Missouri State with 11 strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Olivia Moyer picked up a save with a pair of strikeouts in one inning of work.
Fort Hays State is set to play its first home games of the season on Wednesday (March 13) with a doubleheader against Rockhurst University. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Saturday
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State Softball dropped its first two games of MIAA play on Saturday (March 9) at Missouri Western. The Griffons won by scores of 4-2 and 13-5 to extend their win streak to nine games. MWSU moved to 12-4 overall, while FHSU is now 9-9.
Game 1: Missouri Western 4, Fort Hays State 2
Missouri Western did the majority of its damage in the first inning. A double to leadoff the game and then an error set up a three-run home run before the Tigers recorded an out. Savanah Egger would settle in from that point, throwing a complete game for the Tigers and tying her career high in strikeouts with 12, but the offense came up a bit short.
The Tigers picked up their only two runs in the third when a dropped fly ball with two outs off the bat of Madison Pierce allowed two Tiger runners to score. Missouri Western manufactured a run in the bottom of the third with a double, a sac bunt, and then an RBI single up the middle.
Down 4-2, the Tigers had an opportunity to break through again in the fifth with a pair of singles and a walk set up a bases-loaded situation with two outs. But a strikeout ended the Tiger threat. In the seventh, the Tigers got a leadoff hit, but could not do anything with it as they came up short by a pair of runs.
Sydney Rader got the win for MWSU, throwing 4.1 innings in her start. She struck out four and allowed four hits. A pair of Griffon pitchers bridged the gap to Wynter Hurst, who picked up a save throwing the final inning with two strikeouts. Egger took the loss, now 5-4 on the season for FHSU. She surrendered six hits and one walk, while one of the four runs she allowed was unearned.
Game 2: Missouri Western 13, Fort Hays State 5
Fort Hays State took the upper hand early in the second contest, only to see the Griffons race past in the third inning and go on to win by run rule, 13-5, in six innings.
Peyton Shepard led off the game with a single and then a fielding error gave the Tigers a pair of runners with no outs. Alondra Dominguez drove in the first Tiger run with a sacrifice fly RBI. The Tigers extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the third when Shepard led off with another single. Dominguez followed a couple batters later with a single, and both swiped a bag in the inning to put runners in scoring position. Loren Beggs cashed in the opportunity with a 2-RBI single.
A Tiger error in the bottom of the third proved costly as the Griffons had a pair of doubles in the inning and found a way to plate four runs to take the lead. They added a run in the fourth with an RBI double to make it 5-3.
The Tigers capitalized on a Griffon error to open the fifth inning. Madison Pierce and Lilliana Ramirez-Johnsonpicked up RBI singles later in an inning where the Tigers recorded three hits. That tied the game at 5-5.
The Griffons set up a big offensive inning in the bottom of the fifth with three singles early to load the bases. A Tiger error plated a run, a pair of walks forced in two more runs, and then a grand slam capped a seven-run inning. The Griffons tacked on the run-rule inducing tally in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run.
Morgan Schmidt threw the first 4.1 innings for the Tigers, while Bailey Carlson relieved for 0.2 innings. Schmidt had four strikeouts. Ashlyn Finarty picked up a win in relief for the Griffons, throwing 2.2 innings of relief.