FHSU Athletics
HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State gained a split with Emporia State Saturday at Fleharty Family Field, moving to 18-21 overall and 4-10 in the MIAA. Emporia State moved to 22-13 overall and 8-6 in the MIAA. The Hornets took the high-scoring first contest 15-7 by run rule before the Tigers bounced back for an 8-3 win.
Game 1: Emporia State 15, Fort Hays State 7 (5 inn.)
The first contest of the day saw two strong shifts of momentum as the Hornets were victorious in a high-scoring see-saw battle. Emporia State jumped out to a 4-0 lead through 2.5 innings, but the Tigers put together a massive six-run two-out rally in the bottom of the third following a Hornet error. However, the Hornets rallied back in front with an 11-run fifth and the Tigers could not score enough to extend the game in the bottom half of the inning.
The Hornet offense notched 10 hits over their first three innings on offense, producing four runs. That included a pair of RBI singles and a two-run home run.
After going hitless the first two innings, the Kaydawn Haag produced a single in the third. The Hornets made a critical fielding error with two outs that extended the inning and the Tigers made them pay with an avalanche of six runs on two outs. Audrey Gillespie drove in two runs with a single, Abbey Duarte tied the game with a 2-RBI double, and then Lilly Mohr put the Tigers in front with a massive home run to dead center field. FHSU led 6-4 after three and neither team scored in the fourth.
Big two-out rallied became a theme of the game as the Hornets produced a 10-run rally on two outs in the fifth. They led off the inning with a home run to make it 6-5, but a two-out Ally Miller solo home run tied the game. From that point, the Tigers needed three more pitchers in the fifth to find the final out. When the dust settled, ESU had eight hits in the inning, while also gaining three walks and a hit-by-pitch. Emporia State finished with 18 hits in the game.
Down by nine, the Tigers countered with one run in the bottom of the fifth, but it was not enough to avoid the run rule. Duarte drove in FHSU's final run with a sacrifice fly.
Chloe Wilson earned a win for ESU in relief, allowing one run in 2.1 innings of work. All six runs allowed by ESU starter Hannah Butterbaugh were unearned. All seven pitchers for FHSU threw in the game as starter Myah Wolfe lasted the longest at 2.0 innings. Claire Kirby took the loss in relief for FHSU.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 8, Emporia State 3
Even though the Tigers fell in the first contest with seven runs, they kept the offense rolling in the second game with eight runs. The Hornets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Tigers tied the game twice at 2-2 and 3-3 before rallying past with three runs in the fourth inning. They added the final two for insurance in the sixth.
Abbey Duarte initiated a 6-RBI game with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Lilly Mohr followed with an RBI single. With the Tigers down 3-2 in the third, she launched a solo homer down the left field line to tie the game at 3-3. In the fourth, she pushed the Tigers into the lead with a 2-RBI single. She capped her 3-for-3 game with a 2-RBI double in the sixth. Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson had the other RBI for the Tigers in the fourth on a double following Duarte's go-ahead single. Duarte's six RBI performance was one shy of the FHSU single-game record. It was the most in a game by a Tiger since 2021 when Sara Breckbill had six at Lincoln University.
Hannah Green and Mohr also had three-hit games in the second contest for the Tigers, while Peyton Shepard and Audrey Gillespie had two hits apiece. FHSU finished with 14 hits as a team in the game and 20 overall for the day.
Solana Carpenter pitched a complete game for the Tigers, scattering five hits with five walks. She picked up her eighth win of the season.
Morgan Tomlinson started for the Hornets and lasted 2.1 innings, allowing the first three runs to FHSU. Maci Hayes took the loss in relief, allowing a run in 0.2 innings. Chloe Wilson and Izzy Sloan also pitched for ESU.
The Tigers go on the road for conference doubleheaders at Northeastern State (Friday, Apr. 10) and Rogers State (Saturday, Apr. 11) next week.