HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball struggled to convert key offensive opportunities in a pair of losses to Missouri Western on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. The Griffons won by scores of 4-1 and 5-1 to move to 22-14 overall, 9-5 in the MIAA. The Tigers are 14-15 overall and fell to 7-7 in MIAA play at.
Game 1: Missouri Western 4, Fort Hays State 1
The Tigers can look at two excellent opportunities squandered in the early going of game one as a big reason for a loss. In the bottom of the second, with the game still scoreless, FHSU loaded the bases with two outs but could not push a run across. An inning later down 1-0, the Tigers loaded the bases again, this time with one out and could not put a ball in play with two straight strikeouts.
The Tigers could have done serious damage in the fourth when they loaded the bases again with one out, but a sacrifice fly RBI by Grace Philop was the only run they had to show for that opportunity. At the time, it cut a 2-0 MWSU lead in half.
Michaelanne Nelson (5-8) threw a complete game for the Tigers with seven hits and two walks allowed, while striking out a season-high seven batters. FHSU and MWSU tied in the hit column with seven each, but the Griffons came up with timely hitting when they needed it. They pushed a 2-1 lead to 4-1 with a pair of runs in the sixth. FHSU left 11 runners on base in the game, compared to six for MWSU.
Missouri Western starter Kaili Hinds lasted only 2.0 innings before Kenzie Hilzer (4-7) worked in relief the rest of the way. Hilzer picked up the win, allowing five hits and two walks over 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts. Hilzer moved to 4-7 on the season.
Game 2: Missouri Western 5, Fort Hays State 1
The Tigers saw a bit of déjà vu in game two, coming up empty in a one-out bases loaded situation in the first inning. With Missouri Western already leading 2-0 after a two-run home run in the top of the inning, the Tigers could not counter with any runs of their own in the bottom half. A strikeout and groundout ended the Tiger threat.
Fort Hays State trimmed the lead in half to 2-1 in the third inning when Bailey Boxberger had an RBI single to right field, scoring Terran Caldwell from second with two outs. From that point, the Tiger bats went silent as MWSU pitcher Lexi Kinnaird (6-3) recorded 12 consecutive outs to close out the complete game. Kinnaird allowed six and struck out seven.
Hailey Chapman (8-7) produced her second double-digit strikeout performance in the circle this year, fanning 11 Griffons in a complete-game effort. She allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks in the loss.
Tiger Notes
-Grace Philop and Terran Caldwell led the Tigers with three hits each in the doubleheader.
-MWSU had five extra-base hits in the doubleheader compared to just one by FHSU.
-FHSU pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts, compared to 15 by the MWSU staff.
-Missouri Western now has five straight wins over FHSU going back to the 2017 season.
Up Next
Fort Hays State hosts Northwest Missouri State (9-16, 4-8 MIAA) on Sunday at Tiger Stadium. The doubleheader starts at 12 pm.