FHSU Athletics
BETHANY, Okla. – Fort Hays State is now 13-12 overall for the season after playing to a split with Southern Nazarene in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday. Southern Nazarene took the first contest of the day 8-3 before the Tigers bounced back for a 7-4 win in game two.
Game 1: Southern Nazarene 8, Fort Hays State 3
A couple of big innings helped Southern Nazarene take the first contest of the afternoon. The Crimson Storm scored three in the third to take a 3-0 lead. The Tigers got all three runs back in the fourth to tie the game, but the Crimson Storm scored four more times in the bottom of the fourth to lead 7-3. They went on to add a run in the fifth and win the game 8-3.
A Peyton Shepard triple triggered Fort Hays State's three-run rally in the fourth. Audrey Gillespie followed with an RBI single. After Lilly Mohr singled to put two on base, Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson drove in a run with a single and then Paige Thexton had a sacrifice fly RBI to tie the game. Gillespie and Ramirez-Johnson both had two hits in the game. The Tigers as a team stole four bases.
Southern Nazarene opened the scoring with a two-run triple in the third, followed by an RBI double. With the game tied again in the fourth, a three-run home run by Eden Anderson instantly put the Crimson Storm back up by three. SNU scored the last two runs of the game by an RBI single and RBI double.
Solana Carpenter pitched the first 3.0 innings for FHSU, allowing three runs on five hits. She struck out three batters. Kamaya Soniea-Harris allowed three runs in relief, while Myah Wolfe surrendered two in 1.1 innings. Claire Kirby did not allow any runs in her 1.2 innings of work, while striking out one.
Kinley Brand threw the first 3.1 innings of the game for SNU, followed by 3.2 innings of work by Olivia Hernandez who picked up the win. Hernandez struck out four batters.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 7, Southern Nazarene 4
The Tigers flipped the script in the second contest of the day for a 7-4 win. FHSU initially led with a run in the first, only to see SNU tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. However, a 5-run third inning pushed the Tigers out to a 6-1 lead and they held on to the lead the rest of the way, despite the Crimson Storm scoring in the fifth and sixth innings.
Claire Kirby held the Crimson Storm hitless through the first 4.2 innings of the game until surrendering an RBI double in the fifth. She threw the first 5.2 innings of the game before handing the ball to Mackenzie Hudson, who recorded a save over the final 1.1 innings of the game. Kirby struck out two SNU batters and allowed four runs (three earned). Hudson did not allow a hit, while recording the final four outs of the game.
Hannah Green and Peyton Shepard's speed generated a run in the first inning. Green singled to open the game and Shepard walked. Shepard eventually stole second and Green came in to score on a snap overthrow by the catcher trying to catch her off guard at third.
After SNU benefitted from an FHSU error to score its run in the first, the Tigers erupted for five runs in the third to take a commanding 6-1 lead. Peyton Shepard doubled home Ava Burgess and Green. After Abbey Duarte was hit by a pitch, Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson launched a 3-run home run to left-center field.
Southern Nazarene cut the lead to 6-2 in the fifth and then 6-4 with a pair of runs in the sixth and had the bases loaded before Hudson induced a ground out to first base to end the threat. Burgess launched a solo home run for the Tigers in the seventh to provide an insurance run and then Hudson mowed through the SNU half in the seventh for her second save of the season.
The Tigers will be back at home this weekend for their first home conference doubleheaders of the season. FHSU hosts No. 3 ranked Missouri Southern on Friday (Mar. 20) at 2 p.m., then No. 11 ranked Pittsburg State on Saturday (Mar. 21) at 12 p.m.