Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The 11th-ranked Tiger softball team had a tough day at Tiger Stadium in Hays on Friday (Mar. 22), getting a split in a MIAA doubleheader with Northeastern State. After falling in game one 2-0 in eight innings, FHSU was down three runs going into the bottom of the seventh in game two and made a furious comeback to win 6-5 on a two-out, two-RBI single by Tori Beltz. FHSU moved to 23-5 overall, 5-1 in the MIAA.

Game 1: Northeastern State 2, Fort Hays State 0 (8 inn.)

Maddie Holub's spotless record finally took a blemish even though she went the distance for FHSU in the pitching circle. Entering the game at 12-0 on the season with a sub-1.00 ERA, she took a tough luck loss in a game where neither team scored in seven innings of action. She had 11 strikeouts and allowed four hits and three walks.

In the first extra inning, Northeastern State found a way to manufacture a pair of runs. A single with an error on the play allowed the first run to score and then NSU scored its second run by having a runner get caught in a rundown between first and second on a steal attempt, while the runner on third came into score before the tag was applied.

The Tiger offense sputtered all game long against Shelby Enloe, who kept them off balance at the plate. FHSU had just four hits and got a runner to third just one time in the game, which occurred in the fourth inning. Enloe went the distance for the Riverhawks, allowing just one walk and she struck out three.

Game 2: Fort Hays State 6, Northeastern State 5

The Tigers found themselves in a 5-1 hole in game two through five innings, on its way to possibly getting upset twice, but a late inning rally pushed the nationally ranked Tigers to a much needed win to stay atop the MIAA standings.

Danie Brinkmann started the comeback in the sixth with a solo home run, cutting the lead to 5-2. To start the seventh inning, Kellsi Olsen launched another solo home run, chasing NSU starter Cayce Coleman from the game. Reliever Kayce Wooldridge struggled with her control to the first couple of batters she faced.

Maddie Holub gave FHSU runners at second and first with a single through the right side, but the Tigers dodged a bullet when Brinkmann lined out to the pitcher and Holub would have been doubled off first if not for a throwing error by the pitcher. With runners at first and third, Paxton Duran delievered a clutch RBI single to right center to narrow the gap to 5-4. The rightfielder cut the ball off in the gap which kept Holub from scoring all the way from first. Courtney Dobson kept the pressure on by drawing a walk to load the bases. Then Tori Beltz stepped to the plate and delivered a walk-off two-RBI single to right field that tipped off the edge of the diving rightfielder's glove, allowing two runs to score.

Paxton Duran went the distance for FHSU in the circle, allowing five runs (four earned) with nine hits and two walks allowed with eight strikeouts. Duran is now 9-4.

The doubleheader against Central Oklahoma on Saturday has been postponed to a later date, due to the snow forecasted for Hays. Next action scheduled for FHSU will be a two-day conference road swing at Truman on Friday (Mar. 29) and Lindenwood on Saturday (Mar. 30).