TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Fort Hays State Softball reached the end of its 2022 season on Saturday in a doubleheader at Northeastern State. The Tigers fell in both games of the doubleheader, the first being a tough one-run loss in 10 innings. NSU won by scores of 4-3 and 5-1 to finish 28-23 in the regular season and 16-10 in the MIAA. FHSU closed its season at 23-30-1 overall and 9-17 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Northeastern State 4, Fort Hays State 3 (10 inn.)
The Tigers played their longest game of the season in the first contest and unfortunately saw leads slip away twice, the second time being in walk off fashion in the bottom of the 10th on a two-run homer by the RiverHawks.
All but one run in the contest scored on home runs as Northeastern State hit two and FHSU hit one. Sarah Tiffany put the Tigers up 2-0 in the second inning with her two-run homer, her third homer of the season. Chloe Bohuslavicky knotted the score at 2-2 in the fourth with a two-run homer in response. From that point, pitchers Savanah Egger of FHSU and Gail Young of NSU continued in a pitching duel that lasted all the way into the 10th inning.
The Tigers finally broke through with a run in the top of the 10th when Jessica Espinoza singled and stole a base, moved up to third on an error, and then scored on a fielder's choice RBI by Loren Beggs. Egger, who retired NSU in order in four of five innings following the NSU homer in the fourth, saw her only walk allowed in the game cost her in the 10th. Addy Wolfe drew that lone walk to start off the NSU 10th and then Jaeden Rosenquist followed with a home run to vault the RiverHawks to a 4-3 win.
Egger finished the game with just five hits allowed, while striking out six. Young tossed a full 10 innings and allowed six hits, while striking out three. Both Tiffany and Madison Pierce finished with a team-high two hits in the game.
Game 2: Northeastern State 5, Fort Hays State 1
Northeastern State did the majority of its scoring in the first inning of the second contest, plating three. The RiverHawks took their lead out to 5-0 in the third on a two-run homer by Alyssia Crick, who finished the second contest a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate.
The Tigers only had two runners reach scoring position before finally breaking through in the sixth with their only run. Sarah Tiffany singled, moved up to second on a groundout, and then came in to score on a Sara Breckbill single. It was the final at-bat of Breckbill's career and she became the all-time leader in games played at FHSU on Saturday with 226, passing former teammate Lily Sale's 224. Breckbill finished with a team-best 31 RBIs this season and 114 in her career.
Bailey Carlson yielded the first three runs to the RiverHawks in a third of an inning, then handed the ball to Morgan Schmidt who allowed two in 5.2 innings of relief. Schmidt finished with seven strikeouts. Each gave up three hits. Jenna Chassie picked up a complete-game win for NSU, allowing seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts.
In a nice gesture by the Northeastern State softball team prior to the game, they briefly recognized the four Tiger seniors playing in their final collegiate games on Saturday, as seen in the photo gallery within the story. Sara Breckbill, Elise Capra, Jessica Espinoza, and Betsy Parmley participated in their final games as Tigers.
The Tigers finished just one win shy of their total from last year and 2019, notching 24 each of those years.
FHSU Athletics