KEARNEY, Neb. – The Fort Hays State track and field teams have had their next competition moved up into a mid-week clash. The 2018 UNK Loper Invitational has been rescheduled to Wednesday and Thursday (April 11 and 12) due to forecasted weather conditions.
The meet, which was originally scheduled for this weekend, will be held at Kearney High School. The event will kick off Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. with the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs for both men and women. Thursday, the throws are set to begin at 11 a.m., with field and running events slated for 3:30 p.m.
Below is the link to the new schedule for the Invite.
SALINA, Kan. – In the 2018 regular season finale, the Fort Hays State women’s tennis team suffered an 8-1 loss to Southwest Baptist in a match held in Salina. The Tigers, with the loss, falter to 6-10 overall, while ending with an 1-8 MIAA mark. Southwest Baptist improves to 13-3 overall, boasting a 7-3 conference record.
Haley Weidemann claimed the lone win on the day for the Tigers as she earned the 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles over Beatrix Federer of Southwest Baptist. Natalie Lubbers fell in a close 6-3, 6-3 match to Klara Vickov, while Ellea Ediger dropped a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Constanca Crespo. Laura Jimenez-Lendinez, Macy Moyers and Nicole Lubbers all dropped their singles contests to the Bearcats.
In doubles, Southwest Baptist claimed all three matches on the day. Vickov and Jill Van den Dungen defeated Lauren Lindell and Natalie Lubbers 8-0, with Moyers and Ediger dropping an 8-1 tilt to Lucia Diaz and her partner Crespo. Finally, Jimenez-Lendinez and Nicole Lubbers fell in a close 8-5 match against Federer and Sarah Brown to give the Bearcats the victory.
The 2018 regular season has come to a close for the Tigers with today’s loss.
BOULDER, Co. – Four provisional marks were met by the Fort Hays State men’s track and field team as they competed at the Colorado Invitational hosted by the University of Colorado this weekend. Aside from the provisonals, one automatic qualifier and multiple personal records were achieved by the Tigers.
Kolt Newell got things started for Fort Hays State as he was named the champion of the high jump, coming in at 6 feet, 9 inches, a provisional meeting standard. Teammate, Lucas Broxterman finished the event in sixth place with a height of 6 feet, 5 inches. Dean Cronin also brings home a championship as he won the 800-meter with a time of 1:48.66. This time not only sets a new FHSU record, but also gave Cronin a personal record and an NCAA automatic qualifying time.
Brett Meyer earned a provisional mark in the 800-meter, finishing his time in 1:51.21 and coming in fifth place. Jonathan Penrose broke his previous PR by over one second as he came in sixth place at 54.72 in the 400-meter hurdles. Malcom Gardner won the 200-meters, coming in at 21.61, while the 4×400 relay team finish their run in 3:18.69, good enough for a sixth place finish.
TJ Dozier defeated his field in the discus, winning the event with his distance of 163 feet, 3 inches, long enough for a provisional. Dozier also picked up a fourth place finish in the hammer, going for 186 feet, 10 inches and another provisional mark. Blayne Godshall captured a fourth place finish in the long jump as he hit a distance of 21 feet, 9 inches. In men’s shot put, Christian Delaney threw for 47 feet, ¾ inches to place eighth. Sam Dreiling claimed the runner-up title in the pole vault as he jumped for 16 feet, 4 ¾ inches.
Not only did FHSU compete at the Colorado Invitational, they also sent multiple athletes down south to compete in the West Texas A&M Classic and Multi. Weston Riner came away the top finisher for the men at the meet after he claimed 5,694 points in the decathlon to earn the runner-up position in the event.
Next for the Tigers will be a trip to Kearney for the UNK Loper Invitational April 13-14.
BOULDER, Co. – A trip to the west was just what the Fort Hays State women’s track and field team needed as they competed at the Colorado Invitational hosted by the University of Colorado on Saturday. The women, on the day, claimed three provisional marks while earning various personal record times and heights.
For another week, the sprint runner competed strongly in their events for the Tigers. Kelly Wycoff finished as runner-up in the 200-meter at 24.44 for a provisional, followed by Amber Forbes in third at 24.81 and Yanoudji Diarra with her eighth place time of 25.55.Wyoff also finished in second place in the 400-meter with her time of 56.17.In the 100-meters, Forbes claimed a second place finish at 12.08, while Diarra boosted a fifth place time at 12.48 and Lindsey Schupe claimed eighth place at 12.69.
Also on the track, Lindsey Roberts finished just 1.4 seconds off the school record in the 800-meter with her time of 2:15.91. Although it was short of an FHSU record, it was a new personal best for Roberts. The 4×100 team composed of Forbes, Diarra, Sharee Zombo and Wycoff set a new personal record with at time of 46.91 and a third place finish. In the 4×400 meter relay, the Tigers took fifth place with their time of 4:07.11
In field events, Tiger javelin throwers continued to dominate as Madison Wolf and Alexcia Deutscher took the top two spots in the event, both earning provisionals. Wolf threw for 161 feet, 9 inchhes, while Deutscher went for 139 feet, 1 inch. Summer Kragel tied her personal best as she finished in third place in the high jump at 5 feet, 5 ½ inches. This was the top mark for non-Division I jumpers at the event. Rohey Singhateh completed the long jump by coming in fourth place at 18 feet, ½ inches. At the pole vault event, the Tigers claimed fourth and fifth place with Selam Ball going 10 feet even, followed by Halie Turner at 10 even as well. Courtney Geiger finished in eighth place in the shot put with her throw of 41 feet, 5 ¼ inches, alongside a sixth place finish in the discus with her distance of 140 feet, 3 inches.
Aside from the Colorado Invitational, FHSU sent multiple athletes to the West Texas A&M Classic and Multi competition this weekend. For the women, Courtney Batchman claimed the runner-up position in the heptathlon with 3,989 points, while Haley George finished in fourth with 3,833 points. Mariah Hammersmith competed in the triple jump where she placed fifth at 35 feet, 5 ¼ inches.
Next up for the Tigers is the UNK Loper Invitational in Kearney April 13-14.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State fell twice on Thursday (Apr. 5) to MIAA-leading Washburn in extra innings. The Tigers rallied for two runs in the seventh inning of Game 1 to force extras, but eventually fell in 10 innings 4-3. They rallied back from a 6-0 deficit in Game 2 with five runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, but fell in eight innings 7-6. FHSU moved to 11-31 overall, 7-13 in the MIAA, while Washburn moved to 31-8 overall, 15-1 in the MIAA. It was the second straight day both games of a doubleheader were decided by one run, but this time the Tigers were on the short end in each game.
Adrian Pilkington Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Game 1: Washburn 4, Fort Hays State 3 (10 inn.) Washburn jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three innings in the first game of the doubleheader. A throwing error to open the game led to a two-run first inning for Washburn. A triple in the third led to another run in the third.
The Tigers went hitless through the first 3.2 innings against Washburn starting pitcher Megan Deiter, who entered the contest with a record of 13-0 and a sub-2.00 ERA. Grace Philop picked up the first hit for the Tigers in the fourth on a lined shot to the right center gap for a double. An inning later, Sara Breckbill put the first run on the board for FHSU with a solo home run to left center field.
Down 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers finally broke through against Deiter. Bailey Boxberger led off the inning with a single then Veronica Knittig put down a sacrifice bunt. After Breckbill flied out to left field, Tess Gray drew an important walk to put runners at second and first.
Bailey Kennedy, who joined the team in the middle of the game due to an academic obligation, came off the bench and got her timing down after a couple of strikes. She fouled off three pitches before finally lining a single to left center. Jeni Mohr came around to score from second after pinch running for Boxberger to make it 3-2. Washburn coach Brenda Holaday opted to turn the ball over to Lexi Crabtree in relief of Deiter. It did not pay off as Lily Sale dumped a single over the head of the second baseman and tied the game 3-3.
Neither team scored in the first two extra innings, but Washburn benefitted from a dropped throw at first base in the 10th. As the ball dribbled away, a runner came in to score from third base. It was the second unearned run of the game for Washburn. It proved to be the game-winner as the Tigers could not get a runner across in the bottom half of the inning. Kennedy wound up going 2-for-2 in the game, getting another base hit in the 10th. She reached second base, but the game ended on a ground out.
Hailey Chapman danced out of danger in the pitching circle throughout the game, stranding 14 Washburn runners in the game. That helped limit the damage by an Ichabod squad that finished the game with 18 hits. She threw all 10 innings for FHSU, striking out five.
Crabtree picked up the win in 3.1 innings of relief for Washburn. She allowed just two hits and struck out one. Deiter, getting no decision, remained undefeated on the year. She threw 6.2 innings and struck out 10, while allowing five hits.
Game 2: Washburn 7, Fort Hays State 6 (8 inn.) Washburn looked to be running away with game two of the doubleheader, but like in Game 1, the Tigers started a comeback in the fifth inning once again. This time the rally was twice as big in terms of runs. Washburn led 6-0 through 4.5 innings, but the Tigers rallied for five in the fifth and one in the sixth to force extra innings for the second straight game.
Washburn jumped out of the gates fast with three runs in the first inning on five hits. A solo home run in the fourth made it 4-0, then a sacrifice fly and an RBI-double added two more runs in the fifth.
Washburn pitcher Kelsee Henry was cruising along through four innings, but ran into a parade of four straight hits by the Tigers in the fifth to chase her from the game. Tess Gray put the Tigers on the board with an RBI double to left field. Lily Sale singled to put runners at first and third and then she stole second. Candace Bollig drove in two runs with a single up the middle, cutting the Washburn lead in half to 6-3. Terran Caldwell followed with a double to the left center gap to plate another run and make Washburn go to Lexi Crabtree in the pitching circle once again. With two outs, Bailey Boxberger kept the Tiger rally going with an RBI single up the middle.
The Tigers continued to apply the pressure in the sixth as Veronica Knittig led off with a single. Tess Gray picked up her second straight double and drove in Knittig all the way from first. Knittig was ruled safe at the plate on an overturned call by the umpire. Though she was tagged out initially, obstruction of the plate was called on the catcher, not allowing Knittig a legal path to home plate. The Tigers nearly had the go-ahead run score on a pinch hit single up the middle by Sarah Kay, but pinch runner Sydney Harsh was thrown out at the plate by the center fielder. Again, the catcher blocked off the plate as Harsh slid into her leg in front of the plate, but this time the umpires did not rule obstruction.
Neither team scored in the seventh, forcing extras once again, but Washburn prevailed once again thanks to a solo home run in the eighth by Taylor Kirk. It was her second solo homer of the game after doing the same back in the fourth inning. The Tigers got a pair of one-out singles in the bottom of the eighth, but Crabtree got a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
Sierra Rodriguez pitched all eight innings for FHSU, allowing 13 hits. She struck out one. Crabtree earned her second straight win in relief for the day, moving to 5-5 on the season. She allowed one run on six hits, with three strikeouts over 3.2 innings of work. Henry pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on six hits.
The Tigers go on the road for very important MIAA games at Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State next weekend. They need to make a charge in the MIAA standings as the top eight qualify for the MIAA Tournament.
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team jumped out to a seven-run lead before William Jewell rallied to take Thursday’s non-conference contest, 18-11. The Tigers dip to 13-22 overall while the Cardinals are now 14-12 this season, completing the season sweep of FHSU.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick start, batting around in the first inning to score four runs after WJC went down quietly in the top of the first. Back-to-back errors allowed the first two batters to reach safely before Alex Weiss and Dayton Pomeroy both singled to put the Tigers in front 2-0. Marcus Altman came through with a two-out base hit after an intentional walk, giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead after pulling a sharp single to left.
The Cardinals pushed one run across in the second before Fort Hays State added a pair in the home half of the inning. Addison Kaasch led off with a triple to right center, dropping one in on the warning track just out of the reach of the sprinting Cardinal center fielder. Clayton Basgall drove him home with a sacrifice fly before Dayton Pomeroy lifted a sky shot down the left field line, circling the bases after his 12th home run of the season.
After reliever Alex Ruxlow retired the Cardinals in order in the third inning, FHSU stretched its lead to seven after a leadoff walk to Ryan Grasser. Jordan Wilkerson then stepped up to the plate and crushed a 1-0 pitch sailing over the fence in left center, putting the Tigers in front 8-1.
William Jewell added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before the Tigers went back up by seven on another home run. Another leadoff walk, this time to Cody Starkel, brought Grasser to the dish with one on and no outs. The Tiger second baseman unloaded on a 2-0 pitch, sending it soaring over the wall in left center to make the score 10-3.
The Cardinals started creeping back into the game with four runs in the sixth before tying things up at 10-10 with a trio of runs in the seventh. They added eight runs over the final two innings, totaling four home runs and six unearned runs over the final five innings. Weiss swatted the eighth home run of the game in the bottom of the ninth, going the opposite way with his third long ball of the season.
The Tigers will have the weekend off before traveling to Kearney, Neb. to take on the Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney next Wednesday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State had a good start to the week in conference play on Wednesday (Apr. 4) with a doubleheader sweep of Emporia State at home. The Tigers rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the first game 2-1 before hanging on for a 4-3 win in the nightcap. FHSU improved to 11-29 overall, 7-11 in the MIAA, while ESU dropped to 14-26 overall, 5-11 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 2, Emporia State 1 Emporia State pitcher Montana Mesler kept the Tigers off the scoreboard for six innings until the Tigers finally broke through with a seventh-inning rally. Fort Hays State pitcher Sierra Rodriguez did a good job matching Mesler, with her only run allowed in the sixth inning.
The teams were scoreless through five innings, both with just two hits to that point. A breakdown in communication by the Tigers led to the game’s first run in the top of the sixth when Kenzie Garvin of ESU popped a ball up on the infield. With a strong crosswind, the ball drifted between shortstop and third base, but neither Tiger fielder went for the ball and it fell safely. With all infielders out of position, Garvin continued on to second base for a double. McKenna Davis followed with a single and moved up on a throw to put runners at second and third and no outs.
Candace Bollig was able to thwart one sacrifice bunt attempt, throwing the batter out at first without allowing baserunners to advance. However, Caitlin VanVleck followed with a well-placed squeeze bunt toward third base that Bollig overran on her fielding attempt. The runner was already well down the line when she tried to field the ball, so there may have been no chance to get the runner at the plate. Rodriguez buckled down to get a pop up on the infield and a swinging strikeout to strand the bases loaded.
The Tigers put together a game-winning rally in their final at bat. Bailey Boxberger led off the seventh inning with a walk, then Bailey Kennedy followed with a single to right center field. With Jeni Mohr running for Boxberger, Sara Breckbill put down a sacrifice bunt, but the Hornets chose to go for the force play at third. Mohr beat out the throw by an eyelash to create a bases loaded situation with no outs.
Veronica Knittig wasted no time in getting home the tying run with an RBI single to left center field. That left the bases loaded for Tess Gray, who grounded into a fielder’s choice as the Hornet first baseman cut down the potential game-winning run at home plate. However, Mesler struggled with her command immediately after as Lily Sale drew a walk to give the Tigers a 2-1 win in walk-off fashion.
Rodriguez finished with five hits and a walk allowed to go with four strikeouts. She picked up her sixth win of the season in the circle. Mesler also had a complete game in 6.1 innings of work. She allowed the two runs on four hits and three walks.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 4, Emporia State 3 Grace Philop was the difference for the Tigers in game two, putting the Tigers ahead twice with her 3-for-4 performance at the plate and three RBI. She picked up all of her RBIs in clutch, two-out situations.
Emporia State opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but Fort Hays State matched it with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Three singles loaded the bases before Bailey Boxberger drew a walk to force in a run.
In the second inning, Philop pulled a ball into right field for a single that scored runners from second and third, putting the Tigers up 3-1. After Emporia State tied the game with a two-out, two-RBI single in the fourth, the Philop answered in the bottom half of the inning with a screaming grounder down the left field line that glanced the third base bag on the way by and plated what turned into the game-winning run.
Hailey Chapman settled in over the final three innings for a complete game win. Just two of her 10 hits allowed occurred during the final three innings. She allowed a walk and struck out three, picking up her fourth win of the season.
Destiny Ojigoh took the loss for Emporia State, allowing all four runs in a complete game effort. She allowed 11 hits and three walks to the Tigers, moving to 4-6 on the season.
HAYS, Kan. – Despite trailing by three with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Fort Hays State baseball team pulled out its second-consecutive victory Wednesday afternoon at Larks Park, defeating Washburn 8-7 on a walk-off walk to Clayton Basgall. The Tigers sent 10 men to the plate in the final inning, scoring five runs to come away victorious.
The Tigers are now 13-21 on the year and 5-16 in MIAA play, while the Ichabods dip to 10-22 this season and 4-17 in conference action.
Steve Johnson Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Fort Hays State used 10 hits and took advantage of four Ichabod errors to score its eight runs, half of which were unearned. WU countered with seven runs on 11 hits and a pair of Tiger defensive miscues.
The Tigers went into their final at bat trailing 7-3, having not scored since the fourth inning. That all changed when a pitch hit Basgall to spark the big frame. Alex Weiss sent a potential double play ball to the mound in the next at bat, but the Ichabod pitcher mishandled the grounder and the only play was at first. Dayton Pomeroy then pulled a single to right to put runners on the corners before Cody Starkel lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center, putting the Tigers within three but giving them two outs in the inning.
Ryan Grasser singled to right center in the following at bat, forcing the Ichabods to bring in their closer, Zach Linquist. The righty walked Jordan Wilkerson to load the bases before Marcus Altman came through with a huge base hit, dropping a two-RBI single into left center. With the Tigers now down only one, Bryce Baumwart got the call as a pinch hitter. The junior reached base after the second baseman booted a potential game-ending ground ball, allowing Wilkerson to score and tie things up at seven.
A walk to Addison Kaasch brought Basgall back to the plate with the score tied, the bases loaded and two men out. Basgall fell behind 0-2 before battling back to create an epic 13-pitch at bat. After fighting off six-straight pitches, the senior watched ball four sail out of the strike zone to give the Tigers their first walk-off win of the season.
A strong relief outing from Ryan Ruder (4-4) put the Tigers in position to come from behind and win. The sophomore tossed 5.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just four hits while striking out a pair. He faced four or fewer batters in every inning he pitched.
Ben Ramberg got the start for the Tigers, giving up a pair of extra-base hits to the first two batters before settling down to retire nine of the next 11 batters he faced. The Ichabods chased the Topeka native in the fourth after three hits and a walk, giving Ramberg a final line of 3.2 innings pitched, seven runs on seven hits and three strikeouts.
After watching the Ichabods open the game with a double, Kaasch did the same in the bottom of the first, drilling a 1-1 pitch over the center fielder’s head. The junior moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before sprinting home when Weiss sent a sharp grounder to second. The Ichabod defender chose to come home with his throw, but Kaasch slid in safely just before the tag was applied.
Fort Hays State trailed 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth before Wilkerson started another two-out rally with a triple to deep center field. The Woodbury, Minn. native came in to score when Altman reached on an error. Jason Nicholson reached on a second-straight error by the shortstop in the following plate appearance before Kaasch singled to load the bases. Basgall picked up his first RBI of the day when he was hit by a pitch, putting the Tigers within 7-3 after four innings.
Basgall finished the afternoon with two RBI and a run after going 1-for-2 with a walk and two HBP. Kaasch, Altman and Grasser all collected two hits in the win, with Altman adding two RBI and Wilkerson scoring twice.
The Tigers will look to win three-straight games for the first time since the first three games of the season Thursday (April 5) when FHSU hosts William Jewell at noon from Larks Park.
NEW ORLEANS – After a strong showing at their lone home meet of the season, the Fort Hays State women’s track and field team improved one place from their previous ranking in the latest USTFCCCA Coaches’ poll released Tuesday (April 3). The Tigers captured 71.84 points in the latest edition to slide up one spot from last week’s ranking at No. 12.
FHSU’s 71.84 total points were tabulated from the computer-based system within the poll. The Tigers are one of only just two MIAA programs who received a mention in the rankings alongside just No. 3 Pittsburg State.
At the Alex Francis Classic this past Friday, the Tigers earned seven provisional marks. Kelly Wycoff led the way with two provisional marks in both her 200-meter (24.33) and 100-meter (11.69). Amber Forbes claimed first place in the 100-meter to earn her provisional at 11.65.
In track events, Selam Ball earned her provisional after vaulting 12 feet, 3 ¼ inches, to take first in her event, while Rohey Singhateh claimed the top spot in the long jump at 18 feet, 5 ¾ inches. Madison Wolf continues to dominate the javelin as she earned a provisional at 148 feet, 3 inches.
Below are the latest USTFCCCA rankings.
Rank Institution Points
1 West Texas 170.39
2 Angelo State 146.52
3 Pittsburg State 132.90
4 SF State 118.72
5 Alaska Anchorage 113.20
6 Azusa Pacific 112.31
7 Grand Valley State 95.54
8 UC-Colorado Springs 84.05
9 Fresno State 82.54
10 Missouri Southern 72.20
11 Fort Hays State 71.84
12 Saint Augustine’s 67.53
13 Texas A&M-Commerce 65.75
14 New Mexico Highlands 61.71
15 Concordia (Ore.) 61.06
16 Walsh 59.45
17 Wayne State (Neb.) 59.38
18 Cal State LA 58.74
19 Cal State San Marcos 57.71
20 Colorado Mines 56.40
21 Chico State 55.14
22 Academy of Art 53.08
23 Ashland 52.13
24 UC San Diego 49.02
25 Simon Fraser 48.69
EMPORIA, Kan. – A ninth-inning rally came up just short for the Fort Hays State baseball team Thursday evening (March 29) against Emporia State, falling 7-5. The Tigers fell behind 5-0 before rallying for five runs in the final two innings, but a two-run home run for the Hornets in the eighth inning made all the difference.
The Tigers dip to 11-20 overall and 3-14 in MIAA play while the Hornets are now 16-12 on the year and 7-8 in league action.
Fort Hays State struggled offensively against Hornet starter Seth Holman, collecting just four hits over the first eight innings. After Emporia State took a 5-0 lead by the fifth inning, the Tigers pushed across their first run in the top of the eighth after Marcus Altman led off with a double down the left field line. After moving to third on a groundout, the sophomore came in to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of Jason Nicholson.
The Hornets stretched the lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the eighth when Bryce Fischer lifted a two-run home run over the fence in right. Down to their final three outs, the Tigers took advantage when ESU went to the bullpen in the top of the ninth.
Alex Weiss led things off with a double to right before Ryan Grasser worked a walk two batters later. Jordan Wilkerson helped the Tigers close within 7-2 with a single to right center, plating Weiss. After a passed ball allowed Wilkerson and Grasser to move up one base, the pair came around to score when Bryce Baumwart pushed a single down the right field line. Marcus Altman followed with a third-consecutive single, forcing the Hornets to make another pitching change.
Bryce Whitchurch kept things rolling with a single through the right side, scoring Baumwart and helping the Tigers close within two with just one out, 7-5. After a strikeout it came down to the Tigers’ best hitter in Addison Kaasch. The junior sent a liner toward right field, but the first baseman swiped it out of the air to bring the game to a close.
Ben Ramberg (2-4) took the loss after allowing five runs over 4.2 innings of work, striking out four and allowing six hits. Roger Kruse came on retire all but one hitter he faced, giving up just one hit through two scoreless innings.
Weiss finished the day 3-for-4 with a double and one run scored, while Altman was 2-for-4 with a run.
The Tigers will look to even the series on Friday (March 30) when the teams battle in game two at 5 p.m. in Emporia.
JOPLIN, Mo. – Fort Hays State dropped both games of a conference doubleheader to Missouri Southern on Thursday (Mar. 29). The Lions won by scores of 6-1 and 3-1 as the games took place at Joplin High School. FHSU slipped to 9-27 overall, 5-9 in the MIAA, while MSSU ran its win streak to six games and pushed its record to 18-20 overall, 5-7 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Missouri Southern 6, Fort Hays State 1
The Tigers left 10 runners on base in a 6-1 loss to the Lions in the first contest of the day. The only run for the Tigers occurred in the second inning when they benefitted from a pair of Lion errors before Sara Breckbill scored on a wild pitch from third. That tied the game 1-1.
Missouri Southern pitcher Natalie Hamm was effectively wild to earn the win. She allowed six free passes to the Tigers, but was able to strike out 10. The Tigers struggled at the plate, scratching out only two hits. Grace Philop led off the game with a single and Terran Caldwell had a single to lead off the seventh inning.
Missouri Southern, on the other hand, was able to capitalize on location struggles from FHSU starting pitcher Sierra Rodriguez. A bases loaded walk plated the Lions’ first run of the game in the first. In the third, a free pass eventually led to a two-out, two-run double that gave MSSU a 3-1 lead.
While trailing, the Tigers elected to sacrifice bunt three times with one out and came up empty as the next batter recorded the final out of the inning each time. The Tigers left six base runners in scoring position for the game.
Missouri Southern opened up its lead to 6-1 with three runs in the fourth inning, thanks to five consecutive hits to open the inning.
Rodriguez took the loss in 3.0 innings of work. She allowed a pair of singles to open up the fourth before handing the ball to Megan Jamison in relief. Rodriguez finished with five runs allowed on seven hits and four walks with one strikeout. Jamison went on to allow one run in 2.0 innings of work, giving up five hits with a strikeout. Carrie Clarke also threw an inning, working a scoreless sixth inning with a strikeout.
Game 2: Missouri Southern 3, Fort Hays State 1
Runners left on base turned into an issue once again for the Tigers in the second contest of the day. FHSU took an early 1-0 lead with a two-out bases loaded walk drawn by Sara Breckbill in the first inning, but struggled in every potential run scoring opportunity thereafter. FHSU stranded eight runners on base in the 3-1 loss to MSSU.
After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, the Tigers saw baserunners reach scoring position in four of the following six innings. In three of those four situations, the Tigers had runners in scoring position with less than two outs, yet could not come up with timely hitting.
Erika Lutgen went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Lions and drove in all three of their runs. In the third inning, she drove in the game-tying run with a single up the middle. Two innings later, she plated two runs with two outs again on a single to center field to give MSSU the lead.
Tiger pitcher Hailey Chapman threw a complete game for FHSU allowing eight hits with a walk, while striking out six. Taurean Guzman picked up a complete-game win for the Lions, allowing six hits and two walks.
Fort Hays State looks to bounce back on Friday at Pittsburg State in a doubleheader beginning at 2 pm.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After picking up her second-consecutive top-10 finish, Hannah Perkins has been named MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Week, announced Wednesday (March 28) by the league office. It is the fourth time in her career that Perkins has earned the honor.
The junior finished in a tie for fourth at the Rockhurst Invitational at Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kan. Battling brutal conditions, Perkins fired rounds of 81 and 82 to finish with a two-round total of 163, one shot back of third. It was her second top-10 finish this spring and her third of the season. A native of Wichita, Perkins helped the Tigers to a fourth-place finish in the event.
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped the midweek clash with Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday (Mar. 27), 7-0. The Tigers dipped to 11-19 overall and 3-14 in the MIAA, while the Lopers moved to 17-11 on the season and 10-4 in conference play.
Steve Johnson Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
The Tiger bats were stymied by the Lopers pitching staff as FHSU was shutout for just the second time this season. The Tigers were outhit in the contest, 14-6. Although the Tigers accumulated six hits on the evening, not one was able to plate a base runner with the Tigers stranding seven men on base.
Loper starter, Alex Achtermann, shut down the Tigers as he completed 8.0 innings, not allowing a single run and only four hits. The Tigers were fanned eight times, six to Achtermann. The Lopers took a 2-0 lead in the second inning with an two-RBI double down the left field line allowed both runners on base to cross home plate.
On a day where hits were scarce, Addison Kaasch provided one-third of them in a 2-for-4 outing at the plate, including one of two extra base hits for the Tigers. Dayton Pomeroy was the other Tiger to step on multiple bags with his double in the home half of the third inning.
Alex Ruxlow (0-3) was charged with the loss for FHSU as he threw one of his best outings of the season going 5.0 innings of work, giving up two runs on five hits and recording five punch outs.
The Tigers are back in action this weekend when they travel to Emporia, Kan. to take on the Hornets of Emporia State starting on Thursday (Mar. 29-31). First pitch from Trusler Sports Complex for Game 1 is set for 6 p.m.
