FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State picked up a win over a ranked opponent for the first time since the 2024 season by defeating No. 3 ranked Missouri Southern in the first contest of a conference doubleheader Friday (Mar. 20) at Fleharty Family Field in Hays. The Tigers won 4-1 over the Lions before falling 9-4 in the second contest of the day.
With the win in the first contest, the Tigers snapped a nine-game losing string to the Lions that dated back to the 2021 season. They also picked up their first win over a ranked team in their last 10 tries (defeated No. 6 ranked Central Oklahoma in Hays 2-1 in 8 innings on April 19, 2024). The Tigers remained level in MIAA play, now 14-13 overall and 3-3 in the conference. The Lions moved to 26-4 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State 4, Missouri Southern 1
Fort Hays State never trailed in its game one win. The Tigers scored a run in the bottom of the first when Audrey Gillespie blasted a home run over the left field wall. The Lions eventually matched the run on a Taylor Nuckolls RBI double in the third.
The Tigers put together a solid fourth inning as Lilly Mohr started a rally with a leadoff double. Paige Thexton sacrificed Ava Burgess (running for Mohr) to third, Kaydawn Haag walked, and then Gracie Johns delivered a pinch-hit RBI sacrifice fly. A fielding error by the Lions helped extend the inning, Peyton Shepard singled to load the bases, and then Gillespie delivered a 2-RBI single through the left side to make it 4-1.
The Tigers used three pitchers to keep the Lions at bay. Korryn Johnson started the game and went 2.1 innings with one run allowed. Claire Kirby put together a great relief effort of 3.2 innings and struck out two, while allowing just two hits. Kirby earned the win as Solana Carpenter entered in the seventh to nail down the final three outs for her second save of the season.
Emily Davis of Missouri Southern, now 9-2, pitched a complete game for the Lions. She allowed eight hits and struck out just one.
Missouri Southern 9, Fort Hays State 4
Fort Hays State held a 4-1 lead through three innings of the second contest, looking poised to potentially sweep top-10 ranked Missouri Southern. However, a rough fifth inning dashed their hopes of winning both contests as the Lions rallied past with a 6-run inning.
Missouri Southern initially took the lead in game one on a Taylor Nuckolls home run. However, Lilly Mohr matched that with her ninth home run of the season in the second, tying the game 1-1.
The Tigers put together three runs in the third as Kaydawn Haag led off the inning with a walk. Kory Schoenfeld had a sacrifice to move Haag up, and then she came into score on a Hannah Green RBI single up the middle. Peyton Shepard followed with a single and a stolen base and then Abbey Duarte singled through the right side, netting two RBIs. FHSU took a three-run lead to the fourth.
The Lions pulled within one in the fourth with a two-out RBI triple from Bailey Dillon and an RBI single by Nuckolls. The Tigers ran into trouble in the fifth as the Lions' first three batters reached base. That set up a big inning as a two-RBI double put the Lions in the lead 5-4. An RBI single, a bases-loaded walk, and a 2-RBI single pushed the lead to 9-4 and the Tigers never countered with any threat the rest of the way.
Kadence Janney threw a complete game for the Lions. She allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out one moving to 6-0 on the season.
Solana Carpenter pitched the first 4.0 innings of the game for FHSU and allowed three runs on seven hits with one strikeout. Mackenzie Hudson relieved in the fifth, but could not record an out and allowed four runs (three earned) on a pair of hits and a hit batter. She took the loss, moving to 2-2 on the season. Claire Kirby relieved for the final 3.0 innings and allowed two runs on three hits.
Fort Hays State will play a ranked opponent for the second-straight day on Saturday (Mar. 21) as No. 11 ranked Pittsburg State comes to Hays. The Tigers and Gorillas are set to begin at 12 p.m. at Fleharty Family Field.