TOPEKA, Kan. - Fort Hays State softball picked up its second doubleheader split in as many days on Saturday (April 8), knocking off Washburn in game one, 3-2, before being shut out in the nightcap, 3-0. With the spilt, the Tigers are now 11-33 overall and 4-14 in the MIAA while the Ichabods now sit at 21-24 this season and 8-8 in the conference.
 
Game 1: Fort Hays State 3, Washburn 2
 
After three scoreless innings to start the game, the Tigers struck first with a run in the fourth. Bailey Boxberger led off the inning with a double before pinch runner Claudia Vazquez ended up on third after a fielding error by the Ichabod shortstop. With the bases loaded thanks to a walk to Bailey Kennedy, Lily Sale stepped to the plate. Sale worked a full count and then worked a walk of her own pushing the runner on third home. The lead did not last long however, as the Ichabods lifted back-to-back homers to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Kylie Strand led off the sixth inning by reaching on an error and then swiped second. Then Kennedy traded places with Strand and tied the game with an RBI double to right field. Two batters later, Candace Bollig ripped a ball back up the middle, plating Kennedy and giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
 
The Tigers held on to the lead for the next two innings, allowing just one runner in each frame to claim the victory. Hailey Chapman (6-18) picked up her team-leading sixth win of the season by tossing all seven innings for the Tigers. She gave up two earned runs on seven hits, no walks and four strikeouts.
 
Game 2: Washburn 3, Fort Hays State 0
 
Washburn took the lead early when they plated a run in the second inning on multiple Tiger errors. The Ichabods started the inning with two runners on thanks to back-to-back errors from the Tigers, then in the next at bat the third error of the inning allowed a run to score. The Ichabods built their lead to three with one-run frames in the fifth and sixth.
 
The Tiger bats struggled in this game two, tallying just four singles. Kennedy, Bollig, Boxberger and Jeni Mohr all collected singles in the loss. Bollig extended her hitting streak to four games with a leadoff single in the sixth, the longest current streak for any Tiger.
 
Carrie Clarke (5-11) took the loss for FHSU by tossing all six innings. She allowed just one earned run on four hits to go along with two walks and four strikeouts.
 
The Tigers will open a 10-game home stand on Tuesday (April 11) when they face off with Central Oklahoma in a conference doubleheader. First pitch in game one is slated for 1 p.m.