FHSU Athletics
TOPEKA, Kan. – Both the Tiger offense and pitching shined on the final day of the Washburn Invitational. The Tigers finished the weekend 6-0 and improved to 9-5 overall. They posted a pair of run-rule shutouts, both in five innings, defeating Mary 9-0 and Sioux Falls 14-0. The Tiger offense produced 21 RBIs of the 23 runs scored, while Savanah Egger tossed her third shutout of the weekend and Bailey Carlson also picked up a shutout victory.
Fort Hays State 9, Mary 0
The Tigers generated a run in the first and then erupted for seven in the second to take control of their contest with Mary. They added on another run in the third and Savanah Egger kept the Marauders scoreless over her five innings of work. Egger finished with two strikeouts, while allowing two hits and two walks. She moved to 4-2 on the season.
Loren Beggs had five RBIs in the game. She drove in Peyton Shepard in the first with a ground out. She delivered the big blow in the second with a grand slam, which put the Tigers up 8-0. An error scored the first run of the second for FHSU before Reese Curry knocked home a run and Sarah Tiffany walked with the bases loaded before Beggs' blast. Tiffany picked up another RBI in the third on a sacrifice fly.
Mary starter Hannah Chambers allowed six runs to the Tigers over 1.1 innings of work. Reliever Nicole Eckhardt allowed the final three.
Fort Hays State 14, Sioux Falls 0
Fort Hays State scored in every inning of its 14-0 shutout of Sioux Falls. It tied the fifth-largest margin of victory for the Tigers in their NCAA Division II history.
Beggs remained hot in the first inning, driving in the first run with a single. Regan Curry followed moments later with a two-RBI double to make it 3-0 after one inning. The Tigers added two in the second with RBI singles from Sarah Tiffany and Madison Pierce. Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson jumped into the RBI act in the third on a single and the Tigers plated an extra run on the play due to an outfielder error, then Tiffany recorded another RBI single to make it 8-0 after three innings.
Aubrey Martinez drove home a run in the fourth on a double. The Tigers tacked on five more runs in the fifth started by Beggs with her seventh RBI of the day on a double. Carly Stuke was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, then Sydnee Hoffman and Reese Curry each picked up RBI singles. Ramirez-Johnson capped the scoring with another RBI single. FHSU finished with 19 hits in the game.
Bailey Carlson struck out three and allowed just four hits and a walk in her complete game, moving to 3-1 on the season. Kait Van Der Zwaag took the loss allowing five runs and reliever Kennedy Thomas surrendered nine.
The Tigers head to Liberty, Mo. next weekend to face William Jewell in a doubleheader on March 4.