HAYS, Kan. – Betsy Parmlay's two-run walkoff single lifted the Fort Hays State softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Northwest Missouri State Saturday at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers held on to win the opener 3-2 then rallied to take the second game 5-4.
The Tigers improved to 18-16 overall and 11-5 in the MIAA. The Bearcats slipped to 13-17 overall and 7-11 in the MIAA.
Game 1: Fort Hays State 3, Northwest Missouri State 2
Fort Hays State took an early 2-0 lead in the opener when Loren Beggs took advantage of the north wind and drove a ball high into the air in right field for a two-run triple.
The Bearcats opened the third with a double, triple and single and tied the game 2-2. Tiger starter Michaelanne Nelson stopped any further damage with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
The Tigers grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the inning when Jessica Espinoza drove home the decisive run of the game with a single up the middle.
Nelson shut the Bearcats down the rest of the way, never allowing a runner further than first base the remainder of the game. She finished with eight strikeouts in another complete game effort, allowing seven hits with a walk.
Breck Dickey also pitched a complete game for the Bearcats, allowing seven hits and four walks. She struck out two.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 5, Northwest Missouri State 4
Trailing 4-3, the Tigers loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and won it on Betsy Pamley, two-run single to right field.
The Bearcats scored a run in the third and two in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Northwest starting pitcher Raven Defrain helped her own cause with an RBI single in the third, then Jacee Winn drove home a run in the fourth. The Bearcats picked up an extra run on a throwing error.
The Tigers mounted a rally against Defrain in the fourth when Loren Beggs and Jessic Espinoza goth singles then moved up a base on a passed ball. Kristen Reed drove home the first Tiger run on a sacrifice fly. Elise Capra came through with a pinch-hit RBI single. Sarah Tiffany completed the rally with an RBI double to the right-center gap to tie the game 3-3.
Northwest Missouri State retook the the lead in the sixth on a 2-out RBI single by Olivia Daugherty.
Lily Sale started the Tigers seventh inning rally with a walk. Grace Philp advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Sara Breckbill walked then a chopper by Loren Beggs found its way through the left side to lead the bases. The Bearcats threw out the potential tying run at the plate on an infield grounder for the second out. Parmley then entered as a pinch-hitter and drove in the tying and winning runs on a flare to right field that fell out of the reach of Dougherty trying to make a diving catch.
The Tigers will host Missouri Western in a matchup of top four teams in the MIAA standings Sunday at 12 pm.
FHSU Athletics