FHSU Athletics

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State javelin thrower Estefania Lopez was named the MIAA Women’s Co-Field Athlete of the Week on Monday for her efforts at the Friends University Spring Open this past Friday.

Lopez won the javelin with a throw of 166 feet, 1 inch to win the event and post the nation’s top mark in NCAA Division II this young outdoor season. She was the national leader for a good portion of last year as well. Both her and Madison Wolf (161 feet, 6 inches) threw automatic qualifying marks at the event, placing them both in the top three nationally. Both qualified automatically for the NCAA Outdoor Championships with their efforts.

Lopez shares the Field Athlete of the Week honors this week with Victoria Jackson of Central Missouri. Jackson won the heptathlon at the Arkansas Spring Invitational. She scored 4,986 points, and provisionally qualified for nationals. Her score currently is number one in the country.

FHSU Athletics

AXTELL, Neb. – Fort Hays State Women’s Golf finished 16th at the UNK Spring Invitational, held Saturday and Sunday at Awarii Dunes Golf Course just south of Kearney, Neb.

Hannah Perkins led the way for FHSU by tying for 61st. She shot rounds of 90 and 80. Hannah Karasiuk tied for 65th, shooting rounds of 90 and 81. Hadley Tharp was 81st with rounds of 101 and 85. Quillen Eichhorn tied for 82nd with rounds of 103 and 87. Bailey Jones was consistent, shooting rounds of 98 each day, helping figure into the team scoring on the first day.

Northeastern State won the tournament as a team with a total of 607. Central Oklahoma shot 614 and Arkansas Tech shot 618. The Tigers shot 712 as a team.

FHSU Athletics

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State got out to a fast start in game one, but had its offense go silent midway through the game and the rest of the afternoon in a pair of losses at Central Oklahoma. The Tigers fell in game one, 5-4, in nine innings before losing by run rule in game two 8-0. FHSU moved to 13-20 overall and 7-9 in the MIAA, while UCO improved to 24-10 overall and 9-3 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Central Oklahoma 5, Fort Hays State 4 (9 innings)
Fort Hays State got out to a great start, but squandered opportunities early to blow the game open early as Central Oklahoma stormed back in the third and fourth to tie the game. The Bronchos threatened several times late and finally cashed in with an Ally Dziadula RBI double in the second extra inning to get a 5-4 comeback win.

Fort Hays State scored three runs in the first inning as Tori Beltz hit a two-run homer and Courtney Dobson had an RBI single, all with just one out. With runners at first and third, the Tigers failed to get any more runs across as the next two batters struck out.

In the second inning, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but again could not score any runs lining into an inning-ending double play. In the third, the Tigers got runners to first and third but again could not cash in on a golden opportunity, leaving the score at 3-0.

The missed opportunities were costly as UCO, the top hitting team in the nation, stormed back to tie the game with a sacrifice fly RBI and a two-run homer in the bottom of the third.

The Tigers chased UCO starter Nicole Brady from the game after Rilee Krier led off the fourth with a single. Later in the inning, Samantha Villarreal put FHSU back on top 4-3 with a two-out RBI single. But again, that’s all the Tigers would get with runners left on first and third once again to end the inning. UCO ended that lead in the blink of an eye as Tori Collet hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fourth, tying the game once again.

After getting the last out of the fourth, UCO reliever Abbie Lancaster settled in to hold the Tigers hitless over the final five innings of the game. She retired 13 straight Tigers until an error leading off the ninth allowed Krier to reach base. The Tigers had a great opportunity to get Krier in as she was in scoring position with one out, but a fly out and ground out ended the threat.

Central Oklahoma got its leadoff batter aboard in the ninth and cashed in on its opportunity, plating the runner from second on an Ally Dziadula walk-off double with one out.

Beltz’ home run in the first was her eighth of the season, moving her to second on the all-time home run list at FHSU, now with 27 in her career passing Adriana Wortley. Krier had a team-high three hits in the game. Paxton Duran pitched all 8.1 innings for FHSU, allowing five runs on nine hits and three walks with six strikeouts.

Game 2: Central Oklahoma 8, Fort Hays State 0
Central Oklahoma got out to a 4-0 lead through two innings and eventually pulled away for an 8-0 run rule win in six innings. After struggling at the plate for the final five innings of game one, the Tiger bats remained quiet through the first three innings of game two until Paxton Duran singled with two outs in the fourth.

The Tigers scratched out only four hits against UCO starter Jessi Walker, who threw a complete game for the Bronchos. She walked three and struck out three.

Carrie Clarke pitched the entire game for the Tigers, allowing eight runs on 14 hits and four walks with one strikeout.

Fort Hays State returns to action next weekend on the road again, traveling to Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State for conference doubleheaders.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State hit four home runs and pounded out 16 hits as they rolled past Lincoln 14-6 Saturday afternoon at the LU Baseball Field. The Tigers (13-14, 7-9 MIAA) sweep the three-game series and have won four straight while the Blue Tigers (1-25, 0-16 MIAA) have lost 18 in a row.

Austin Unrein, Caleb Cherryholmes and Joe Mapes all homered for FHSU. Cherryholmes finished with two hits and four RBIs while Connor Ross added three hits.

Cherryholmes’ three-run shot and Unrein’s solo blast in the second inning put the Tigers up 7-0. After Lincoln answered with four in the bottom of the inning, the Tigers added single runs in the third an fourth then Mapes hit a two-run homer in the sixth to build the lead to 11-4. Unrein highlighted a three-run seventh with a two-run shot to put FHSU up 14-4.

Clayton Basgall (1-0) pitched 3.0 innings of relief for the win. The LaCrosse sophomore gave up on unearned run on three hits while striking out three and walking one.

The Tigers are off until Wednesday when they host Washburn at 4pm at Larks Park. You can hear the game on KAYS (1400-AM).