FHSU Athletics
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Pittsburg State, ranked No. 11 nationally in the latest NFCA Division II rankings, defeated Fort Hays State twice on its home field Saturday by scores of 8-0 and 4-1. The Gorillas improved to 36-4 overall on the season, 10-2 in the MIAA, while the Tigers moved back to level overall at 16-16 and 2-8 in the MIAA. The Gorillas snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Tigers with the pair of wins.
Pittsburg State 8, Fort Hays State 0 (6 inn.)
Fort Hays State's Savannah Egger and Pittsburg State's Ava Laurent were engaged in a pitcher's duel through five innings until the very potent Gorilla offense opened up the game in the sixth with a seven-run outburst to end the game instantly by run rule.
Egger retired the first eight Gorillas she faced in the game before allowing their first hit with two outs in the third. That was the only hit for PSU through the first four innings. Amaya Snyder broke the seal on a scoreless game in the fifth with a solo home run for the Gorillas as they took a 1-0 lead to the sixth.
A quick comebacker single by Heather Arnett that Egger could not quite field fast enough in the sixth started a big rally for the Gorillas. Another single put two runners on and then Paxton Hayes doubled home both runners to make it 3-0. A walk and another hit loaded the bases with no outs. Egger got a strikeout before yielding one more hit that plated two more runs, making it 5-0.
Bailey Carlson relieved for the remainder of the game, surrendering an RBI single and then a two-RBI double with two outs that brought the game to the run-rule margin in the blink of an eye.
The Tigers scratched out just two hits against Laurent, one by Carly Stuke and the other by Loren Beggs. Stuke's was a two-out double in the first and Beggs' was a one-out single in the fourth. Laurent retired the final eight Tigers she faced in the game, moving to 12-1 on the season. Egger struck out three batters and moved to 9-7 overall on the season.
Pittsburg State 4, Fort Hays State 1
Fort Hays State took the initial lead with their only run of the day in the first inning, thanks to three-straight singles to open the game. Peyton Shepard had a bunt single, Alondra Dominguez followed with a well-place single in the hole between shortstop and third, and Carly Stuke capped the early ambush with an RBI single to right field.
The Gorillas evened the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when a one-out walk led to an RBI single by Maddie Fernandez. PSU took the lead in the third when Fernandez struck again with a solo home run. A two-out RBI single by Heather Arnett in the fourth made it 3-1, then PSU capped its scoring on a solo home run by Paxton Hayes in the fifth. Pittsburg State finished with 11 hits in the game.
It took until the seventh inning for the Tigers to have another runner in scoring position after the three straight hits to start the game, but a flyout and a fielder's choice with two runners on in the seventh ended the game.
Morgan Schmidt threw a complete game for the Tigers and had two strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Shepard and Madison Pierce each had two hits in the game.
Kiana Pogroszewski picked up the win for the Gorillas, going 6 innings in her start with one strikeout. She scattered five hits. Chelsea Beville threw an inning of relief with a strikeout and two hits allowed, earning the save.
UP NEXT
Fort Hays State will play its next eight games at home with two straight weekends of conference doubleheaders at Fleharty Family Field in Hays. Next week, FHSU faces Emporia State and Washburn.