KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time this outdoor season, Fort Hays State track and field’s Brett Meyer has been named the MIAA Co-Track Athlete of the Week. The award was announced Tuesday (April 8) from the conference office.

At the Colorado Invitational in Boulder over the past weekend, Meyer captured his first NCAA automatic qualification of the season. With a fifth place finish in the 1,500-meters, Meyer clocked a time of 3:49.65. However, due to altitude modifications, his time was adjusted to 3:44.18, giving him the automatic mark. The time now sits Meyer at third on the NCAA DII national performance list.

During the indoor season, Meyer achieved the MIAA Track Athlete of the Week three-consecutive weeks.

Meyer will be back on the track next this weekend as the Tigers travel to MIAA foe in Nebraska-Kearney.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Fort Hays State women’s basketball senior Tatyana Legette picked up a second All-America honor this week, earning a spot on the third team of the 2019 Women’s Division II Bulletin All-American list. Legette is the fourth All-America selection in the program’s history and first since Kate Lehman in 2015. Legette adds this honor to her great list of accomplishments this year after being named WBCA All-America Honorable Mention, MIAA Player of the Year, MIAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and a D2CCA All-Region First Team selection.

Legette led Fort Hays State in points, rebounds, and assists, helping the Tigers to a stellar 32-2 overall record and advance to the NCAA Central Regional Final. She averaged 13.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, while ranking second on the team in blocks per game (1.5) and third in steals per game (1.4). She scored in double figures 24 times, compiling 10 double-doubles in the process. Legette was named MIAA Athlete of the Week three times this year.

For her career, the Topeka, Kan. native has amassed 1,256 points, ranking 11th on the all-time list at FHSU, and 865 rebounds, good for fourth in program history. She ranks fifth in program history for blocked shots (126) and free throws made (352), sixth in free-throw attempts (487), and 10th in field goal percentage (50.3 percent).

Legette helped lead the Tigers to a 30-1 record entering the NCAA Championship Tournament, the fewest losses in the regular season in program history. She helped FHSU capture both the MIAA regular season and MIAA tournament championships, becoming the first team to do so since 2012. The Tigers earned an automatic bid into the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship, their fifth trip to the big dance. The Tigers were the No. 1 seed in the Central Regional of the tournament.

NEWTON, Kan. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team claimed a runner-up finish at the Bethel College Spring Invitational (April 6-7). The first round of competition was hosted at Hesston Golf Park, while the second round was hosted at Sand Creek Station. The Tigers shot rounds of 286 and 301 to finish 15-over par (587) for the tournament.

Freshman Pete Carney led the Tigers after shooting rounds of 68 and 76 (144) and finishing in a tie for fifth for the tournament.

Seniors Connor Schultz (68 & 77) and Mac McNish (75 & 73) also finished in the top-10 for the Tigers. Schultz finished in a tie for seventh, while McNish tied for 10th. Bryce Cowan shot identical rounds of 75 to finish in a tie for 16th. Isaiah Grover carded rounds of 78 and 80.

Kansas Wesleyan took home the team title with rounds of 284 and 299 for a 11-over par score (583) as a team. Fort Hays State finished four strokes behind the Coyotes. Murray State College (596) finished in third.

The Tigers will be back in action in eight days when they make their way to Bolivar, Mo. to compete in the SBU Invitational (April 15-16) hosted at Silo Ridge Country Club.

HAYS, Kan. – A day after scoring just two runs in a doubleheader against Missouri Western, Fort Hays State had a 22-run outburst in a pair of wins over Northwest Missouri State on Sunday at Tiger Stadium. Fort Hays State took the first contest by run rule, 14-6, before hanging on for an 8-6 win in the second contest. FHSU is now 16-15 overall, 9-7 in the MIAA, while NWMSU dropped to 9-18 overall, 4-10 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 14, Northwest Missouri State 6
The Tigers had two big scoring innings in the first contest, scoring six runs in the first and seven in the third to build a big lead. The Tigers fell down 2-0 after the top of the first, but a seven-hit first inning propelled the Tigers to a 6-2 lead after one inning.

Terran Caldwell led off with a double and then came in to score on a Grace Philop RBI single. Sara Breckbill kept the line moving with another single and then Bailey Boxberger had an RBI single of her own to tie the game. Allison Jurgensen recorded the fourth straight single for the Tigers up the middle, which plated two more runs and pushed the Tigers in front 4-2. Elise Capra made it five singles in a row before the streak ended on a Jeni Mohr sacrifice bunt. The sacrifice helped though as Lily Sale roped a two-RBI double to the right-center gap to push the lead to four runs.

Northwest Missouri trimmed the lead back to three with an unearned run in the top of the third, but the next Tiger outburst pushed the lead to a comfortable 13-3 in the bottom half of the inning. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out and then Caldwell produced a two-RBI single, making the score 8-3. Katie Adler joined the hit parade with an RBI single to make it 9-3. With two outs, Breckbill laced a two-RBI triple down the left-field line, just out of the reach of the Bearcat fielder, pushing the score to 11-3. Boxberger backed that up with an RBI double to the right-center gap and Jurgensen followed with another RBI single to cap the seven-run inning.

Two of three runs by the Bearcats in the fourth were unearned. The lone earned run was the doubleheader’s only home run, hit by Karli Allen. Fort Hays State added a run back to its lead in the bottom half of the fourth on an RBI double by Caldwell.

Hailey Chapman earned a complete-game win, moving to 9-7 on the season. Three of her six runs allowed were earned, while allowing eight hits and a walk. She struck out five. Regan Thompson took the loss for NWMSU, now 4-8 after allowing six runs and lasting just two-thirds of an inning. Kaitlyn Weis also allowed six runs for NWMSU in 2.0 innings of work. Logan Wenzel allowed the final two in 1.1 innings of work.

Caldwell and Jurgensen had a team-best three RBIs each in the game, while Caldwell and Breckbill each had three hits in four at bats. All but two Tigers recorded RBIs in the game and Mohr was the only Tiger without a hit, though she reached base twice and scored two runs.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 8, Northwest Missouri State 6
Fort Hays State built a big lead early, but had to hang on in the waning moments of game two. After both teams scored one run in the first, the Tigers opened up a six-run lead with a six-run second inning. Northwest Missouri scored twice in the third, but FHSU got a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 8-3 after three innings.

A leadoff walk by Terran Caldwell led to the Tigers’ first run, getting under the tag of a throw from the NWMSU first baseman to home plate on a ground ball off the bat of Grace Philop. The Tigers opened the second with five straight hits, a single by Allison Jurgensen, double by Elise Capra, and then three straight singles by Jeni Mohr, Lily Sale, and Caldwell. Northwest Missouri starter Sheridan Thompson ran into a patch of wildness throughout the hit parade, allowing the Tigers to score on one of her five wild pitches in her brief appearance of one inning plus five batters faced in the second. Sale and Caldwell each notched RBIs on their singles. Northwest Missouri reliever Rachel Smith also fought wildness in the inning. She allowed a bases-loaded walk to Sara Breckbill, then allowed two more runs to score on a wild pitches. Northwest Missouri uncorked four of its seven wild pitches in the game in the second inning.

A throwing error by the pitcher that would have been the third out of the fourth inning plated Fort Hays State’s final run. Jurgensen came in to score on the play after roping a double just beforehand.

Fort Hays State starter Michaelanne Nelson ran into trouble in the fifth when the Bearcats loaded the bases with two outs. Megan Jamison got the Tigers out of the jam by inducing a fly ball to left fielder Elise Capra to end the threat. The Bearcats had a runner reach third in the sixth, but on an appeal play, was called out for leaving the bag early trying to tag up on a fly out to right field.

Jamison then ran into trouble of her own in the seventh after getting one out. Three hits by the Bearcats, a double and then two singles made it 8-4. Jamison handed the ball to Hailey Chapman, who had to work around danger to get the final two outs. A double and single by the Bearcats with Chapman pitching made the score 8-6 with runners at first and third. Chapman then picked up her second save of the season by getting an infield pop up and a strikeout looking to end the game.

Nelson allowed seven hits and four walks in her start that lasted 4.2 inning. She picked up the win, now 6-8 on the season, while striking out three. All three of her runs allowed were unearned. Jamison bridged the gap to Chapman by throwing 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits.

Thompson of NWMSU received her first pitching decision of the season, moving to 0-1 with the loss with six runs allowed. Smith threw the final 5.0 innings and allowed two runs (one earned).

Tiger Notes
-Fort Hays State produced 22 runs on 25 hits in the doubleheader, batting .446 for the two games.
-Lily Sale went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate in the doubleheader with 3 RBIs.
-Terran Caldwell produced a team-best 4 RBIs for the day.
-Six Tigers had a multi-RBI afternoon in the sweep.
-FHSU moved back up to sixth place in the MIAA standings with the wins.

Up Next
Fort Hays State goes on the road next weekend to Emporia State and Washburn for two more MIAA doubleheaders. The games at Emporia State on Friday (Apr. 12) start at 3 pm, while the contests at Washburn on Saturday (Apr. 13) begin at 1 pm.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the series finale to Northwest Missouri State on Sunday (April 7), 16-1. The Tigers moved to 3-27 overall and 2-19 in the MIAA, while the Bearcats moved to 17-15 on the season and 13-8 in conference action.

Offensive production was hard to come by for the Tigers in the contest as they were only able to squeeze in four hits on the afternoon. Marcus Altman led the way with a 2-for-2 outing at the dish. Ryan Grasser and Jordan Wilkerson were the other Tigers to earn base pokes.

FHSU used four pitchers with Jake Taylor (0-5) starting the game on the mound. Taylor tossed 3.2 innings, giving up seven runs on nine hits with one strikeout. Cody Rottinghaus, Cole Zimmerman and Jake Vieira pitched the rest of the way out of the bullpen. Rottinghaus allowed four runs on four hits, Zimmerman was charged with five runs on four hits and Vieira (0.1 IP) had a scoreless outing.

The Tigers will be back home for a four-game swing, beginning with a non-conference contest against Bethany College on Tuesday (April 9). First pitch from Larks Park is slated for 6 p.m.

BOULDER, Colo. – The Fort Hays State women’s track and field team traveled west to compete in altitude at the Colorado Invitational in Boulder. The Tigers are bringing back multiple top-ten finishes and one first performance which also turned in a provisional mark.

Alexcia Deutscher led the Tigers on the day with a first place finish in the javelin, earning her yet another provisional mark on the season. Deutscher threw for a top mark of 141 feet, 3 inches. Teammates Kaci Vaughn (third place, 120 feet, 10 inches) and Kalynn Foster (sixth place, 109 feet, 1 inch) also finished strong in the event.

Lindsay Shupe claimed a sixth place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 25.27, followed by an eighth place finish in the 400 meters after turning in a time of 58.10. In the 400 meter hurdles, Peri Lange earned a ninth place finish with a time of 1:05.44.

Onto field events, Summer Kragel performed a personal best in the high jump to claim third place with a mark of 5 feet, 5 ¼ inches. Haley George placed fifth at 5 feet, 3 ¼ inches, and Robin Ritsema rounded out with a tenth place finish at 5 feet, 3 ¼ inches. Rohey Singhateh finished in seventh place in the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 6 ¼ inches, but capped her day with a third place finish in the triple jump at 37 feet, 8 ½ inches. Kayla Smith placed eighth in the long jump with her distance of 17 feet, 5 ½ inches, and fourth in the triple jump at 37 feet, 5 ¼ inches. In the hammer throw, Laurel Haley went for 156 feet, 10 inches to place eighth in the field.

The Tigers are back in action next weekend (April 12-13) as they travel to MIAA foe in Nebraska-Kearney.

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.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Despite scoring three runs in the first inning, the Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the second game of their weekend conference series to Northwest Missouri State 4-3 Saturday at Bearcat Field. o 3-26 overall and 2-18 in conference play, while the Bearcats moved to 16-15 on the season and 12-8 in MIAA action.

Tyler Olson’s double down the left field line scored scored Landon Erway to give the Tigers (3-26, 2-18 MIAA) and early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Ryan Grasser then delivered a two-run single, scoring Olson and Taylan Mullins-Ohm.

Tiger starter Ethan Booe shut down the Bearcat (16-15, 12-8 MIAA) bats for the better part of three innings until they cut into the Tiger lead with an RBI single in the third. The Bearcats tied the score at 3-3 in the fourth with an RBI double and an RBI single in consecutive plate appearances. NWMSU took the lead for good in the fifth with a sacrifice fly.

Booe tossed 5 1/3 innings allowing four runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Ryan Brown pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits with a strikeout.

Quintin Van Ackeren (4-1) allowed three runs on three hits over six innings. Alex Slocum, Aaron Easley and Trevor Dudar combined to pitch three innings of one-hit, shutout ball with Dudar picking up his seventh save of the season.

The Tigers and Bearcats will wrap up the series on Sunday (April 7) inside Bearcat Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the series opener to Northwest Missouri State on Friday 9-2. The Tigers moved to 3-25 overall and 2-17 in conference play, while the Bearcats moved to 15-15 on the season and 11-8 in MIAA action.

Marcus Altman had three of the Tigers six hits going 3-for-3. He hit a lead-off double in the third inning and two singles, one in the fifth and one in the eighth. Ryan Grasser, Jared Maneth and Tyler Olson were the only other Tigers to produce a hit in the contest.

Tiger starter Ryan Ruder pitched 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball before the Bearcats got to him with two runs in the third. An eight-hit, seven-run fifth inning chased Ruder from the game as NWMSU increased their lead to 9-0.

Jared Maneth put the Tigers on the board in the ninth inning lifting a fly ball over the left field wall for his first home run of the season. The 2-run blast scored Bryce Baumwart.

The Tigers and Bearcats will lace it up for game two of the series on Saturday with a first pitch slated for 2 p.m. from Bearcat Field.

HAYS, Kan. – After falling 7-1 in the first game of the day, Fort Hays State handed No. 2 ranked Central Oklahoma its third loss of the season and their first in conference play with a 7-6 walk-off win in eight innings in game two of their doubleheader Tuesday at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers moved to 14-13 overall, 7-5 in the MIAA while the Bronchos moved to 29-3 and 11-1 in conference play.

Game 1: Central Oklahoma 7, Fort Hays State 1
After holding Central Oklahoma scoreless over the first two innings, Fort Hays State starting pitcher Michaelanne Nelson ran into trouble in the third by allowing a single and two walks with two outs to load the bases. Carli Jones made the Tigers pay for the two free passes in front of her by hitting a grand slam over the right field wall, instantly putting UCO on top 4-0.

The Bronchos tacked on two more runs in the fourth with a pair of RBI singles and then pushed the lead to 7-0 in the sixth with another RBI single. Two of the singles were from JoBi Heath and the other from Bailey Thompson. Jones’ big blast in the third was enough for the Bronchos, while limiting the Tigers to just a single run in the sixth.

Sara Breckbill was the only Tiger to drive in a run in the first game. Her RBI single in the sixth brought in Terran Caldwell, who started the inning with a double followed up by a single from Katie Adler.

Bailey McKittrick held FHSU hitless over the first 4.1 innings, allowing just a walk and a hit batter to that point. Jeni Mohr broke up her no-hit bid in the fifth with a single to the left side, beating out the shortstop’s throw at first base. The Tigers started to solve McKittrick further in the sixth with three hits, which was a precursor to good things that happened late against her in game two. McKittrick moved to 15-0 on the season with the win, allowing one run on five hits with seven strikeouts.

Nelson moved to 5-7 on the season with the loss. She allowed seven runs on 11 hits and seven walks. She struck out four. Megan Jamison picked up the final three outs for the Tigers in the seventh, allowing a hit with a strikeout.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 7, Central Oklahoma 6 (8 inn.)
Fort Hays State took an early 2-0 lead in game two, but had to come from behind twice to defeat nationally ranked UCO in game two. The Tigers outhit the Bronchos 16-7, but overcame fielding and baserunning mistakes to win 7-6 in walk-off fashion on a hit to the wall by Sara Breckbill in the eighth inning.

A fielding error by the Bronchos extended the first inning and the Tigers made them pay with back-to-back RBI singles from Bailey Boxberger and Elise Capra. However, with the 2-0 lead, FHSU starting pitcher Hailey Chapman struggled with command in the second and a pair of wild pitches led to UCO scoring a pair of runs to tie the game with two outs in the inning. UCO then jumped in front 3-2 with an RBI double.

The Bronchos helped the Tigers out further in the bottom of the second when a throwing error allowed a run to score with just one out in the inning. The Tigers could have taken the lead on a grounder to the right side of the infield with runners at first and third, but a base-running blunder turned into a double play and left the score knotted at 3-3.

The Tigers found themselves in a hole once more when UCO plated three more runs in the third. Game-one nemesis Carli Jones struck again with a two-run homer to right field, nearly in the same location as her game one grand slam, giving UCO a 5-3 lead. The lead moved to 6-3 when a throwing error to first base with two outs allowed another run to score.

After a rough pair of innings, Chapman settled in to hold the nation’s seventh-best hitting and eighth-best run scoring team scoreless over the final five innings. That allowed FHSU to claw its way back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and a single run in the fifth to tie the game 6-6.

In the third, Breckbill led off with a single and then Boxberger backed it up with a double. That chased UCO starting pitcher Sydney McLeod from the game. Against reliever Lauren Gibson, Allison Jurgensen came up with a two-RBI single to cut the lead to 6-5. Jurgensen delivered again in the fifth with a bloop RBI-single down the right field line that scored the tying run.

Chapman allowed only two hits over her final five innings in a complete game effort. She got out of jams with runners at third in both the sixth and eighth innings to give the Tigers a chance to win. They finally seized that opportunity in the bottom of the eighth off game-one starter Bailey McKittrick, who entered the game to pitch at the beginning of the inning. A well-placed infield single by Terran Caldwell to the left side started the rally. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Katie Adler. After Grace Philop flew out to center field, Breckbill gave the Tigers a victory with a lazer shot over the left fielder’s head that plated Caldwell from second. It also gave McKittrick her first losing decision of the season in the circle.

Chapman moved to 8-6 overall with the win. She allowed seven hits and six walks, while striking out nine. The last of her strikeouts stranded UCO’s potential go-ahead runner at third to end the eighth inning. Five of her six runs allowed were earned.

Tiger Notes
-FHSU picked up its first win over a ranked team in over three years. The last was a 5-1 win over No. 20 Augustana on February 19, 2016.
-Bailey Boxberger went 4-for-4 at the plate in game two of the doubleheader.
-Allison Jurgensen drove in the most runs for the Tigers in the 7-6 win with three.
-Central Oklahoma’s only other losses this year were to non-conference opponents Texas A&M-Commerce and Augustana.
-Fort Hays State now has three walk-off wins this season, two on hits by Grace Philop and now one by Sara Breckbill.

Up Next
Fort Hays State will remain at home for the next pair of conference doubleheaders. Missouri Western comes to Hays on Saturday, April 6 and then Northwest Missouri State is in town on Sunday, April 7. Both doubleheaders are scheduled for 12 pm.

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball split a pair of MIAA games with Northeastern State on Monday at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers held on for a 4-3 win in the first game before falling by a score of 9-4 in the second contest. FHSU is now 13-12 overall, 6-4 in the MIAA, while NSU moved to 20-13 overall, 8-2 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Fort Hays State 4, Northeastern State 3
Fort Hays State rallied twice for the lead and then held on late for a 4-3 win. Trailing NSU 1-0 after an inning, FHSU scored twice in the third to take the lead for the first time, 2-1. NSU took the lead back, 3-2, with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, but FHSU answered with a pair in the bottom half to create the final advantage of 4-3.

The Tigers tied the game in the third at 1-1 when Jeni Mohr and Katie Adler used some crafty baserunning after the RiverHawks recorded an out at second base. Adler, who put the ball in play, rounded first base after she was easily safe at first. The pitcher tried to make a play on her at second, but Mohr came in to score from third base, getting in under a tag. Grace Philop then drove in Adler from second with an RBI single up the middle.

Northeastern State tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the fifth by Alyssia Crick, she moved up to second on the throw home and then a muffed throw allowed her to move to third. She then came in to score on an RBI single by Madison Boyd as NSU took the lead back with an unearned run.

Philop, Sara Breckbill, and Bailey Boxberger, who all finished with two hits in the game, rallied the Tigers back in the bottom of the fifth with three straight singles. Boxberger’s RBI single to right field tied the game. Elise Capra followed with a sacrifice fly RBI to center field, putting the Tigers back in front for good even though they had to get through a pair of high-stress situations in the sixth and seventh.

A pair of walks by NSU to open the sixth led to runners at second and third with just one out. Hailey Chapman relieved starter Michaelanne Nelson after the pair of walks and got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts. In the seventh, Chapman worked around a single and then a fielding error that put runners at first and second. She got a foul pop up to end the game.

Nelson moved to 5-6 with the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks. She struck out five. Chapman picked up a two-inning save, striking out three with one hit allowed. It was her first save of the season. Gail Young took the loss for NSU, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits with a strikeout in her complete-game effort.

Game 2: Northeastern State 9, Fort Hays State 4
Northeastern State reversed roles in the second game, earning a comeback win after falling down early 2-0. NSU plated runs in five straight innings, from the second through sixth, to earn the split.

FHSU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, set up on back-to-back singles by Katie Adler and Grace Philop. Sara Breckbill brought in Adler on a sacrifice fly RBI, then Bailey Boxberger had an RBI single up the middle.

The RiverHawks benefitted from an error in the second to get the game tied. After a leadoff single eventually turned into a run, an error helped extend the inning and Alyssia Crick tied the game with an RBI single. Another error in the third led to two of three runs in the inning being unearned as NSU took a 5-2 lead.

The Tigers got two of the runs back in the bottom of the third with an RBI single by Breckbill and then a run scoring on a throwing error by the RiverHawks, reducing the lead to 5-4. However, that was as close as they would get as a solo homer in the fourth and RBI single in the fifth pushed the lead back out to three for NSU. The RiverHawks added on a pair of runs in the sixth to create even more distance.

Northeastern State starter Sydney Balderrama settled in after allowing four runs (three earned) in the first three innings. She retired the final 12 Tiger batters of the game, going flawless over the fourth through seventh innings in a complete-game win. She allowed six hits and struck out four.

Hailey Chapman allowed six runs (three earned) in four innings pitched. She surrendered eight hits and walked one, while striking out four. Michaelanne Nelson allowed three runs in three innings of relief, giving up four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Tiger Notes
-Katie Adler, Grace Philop, Sara Breckbill, and Bailey Boxberger all had three hits on the day.
-FHSU pitchers Michaelanne Nelson and Hailey Chapman combined for 16 strikeouts over 14 innings.
-FHSU is 6-2 at home this year. The Tigers are 4-2 at home in MIAA play so far.
-FHSU is currently tied for fifth in the MIAA standings.

Up Next
Fort Hays State hosts No. 2 ranked Central Oklahoma in another MIAA doubleheader on Tuesday (Apr. 2). The Bronchos are 10-0 in MIAA play so far and 28-2 overall.