ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Fort Hays State dropped its final two games at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament, hosted by St. Cloud State University. The Tigers fell to Minnesota State, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, 7-1 before dropping a contest to tournament host St. Cloud State 6-4. The Tigers moved to 2-14 overall on the season.
#1 Minnesota State 7, Fort Hays State 1
Minnesota State went on top 2-0 after an inning and never let go of the lead, scoring five runs over the fifth and sixth innings to pull away for a 7-1 win. The Mavericks remained undefeated on the year, moving to 8-0.
Megan Jamison started the game in the pitching circle for the Tigers, but could not record an out giving up hits to the first three batters.
Sierra Rodriguez relieved for the remainder of the game. Two of the runners allowed on base by Jamison scored as the Mavericks recorded a total of four hits in the inning.
The Tigers scored their only run in the second inning on a
Sara Breckbill RBI single.
Bailey Boxberger led off the inning with a walk, moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt, then moved to third on a single by
Bailey Kennedy. She came in to score on the hit by Breckbill.
Rodriguez held the Mavericks scoreless until the fifth, when an RBI single up the middle pushed the MSU lead to 3-1. An error extended the inning and a two-run double plated a pair of unearned runs. In the sixth, MSU tacked on two more with an RBI double and single with two outs.
Jamison took the loss for FHSU, moving to 0-1, while Rodriguez scattered nine hits with five runs allowed (three earned), two strikeouts, and a walk over six innings of work.
Caitlin Stone moved to 2-0 for the Mavericks, tossing a complete game with five hits and a walk allowed to go with her three strikeouts.
St. Cloud State 6, Fort Hays State 4
Fort Hays State fell victim to a big fifth inning by St. Cloud State as the game turned in a matter of moments. FHSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but a six-run fifth vaulted the Huskies into the lead. SCSU held on for a 6-4 decision over the Tigers, moving to 9-1 overall on the season.
Home runs caused the majority of damage in this game. FHSU took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on a three-run homer by
Bailey Boxberger after
Lily Sale reached by error and
Candace Bollig singled earlier in the inning.
Hailey Chapman cruised along through four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. A pair of singles with one out triggered St. Cloud's big rally. Libby Bingham brought home both with a double, cutting the FHSU lead to 3-2. A walk and another well placed infield single loaded the bases and then the biggest blow came from Morgan Emmans with a grand slam.
Sierra Rodriguez relieved for Chapman starting in the sixth and held the Huskies scoreless for an inning.
Grace Philop led off the seventh with a solo home run, but the Tigers could not get anything else going as they fell by a pair of runs.
Chapman moved to 0-8 on the year with the loss. Kylie Thomsen went the distance for SCSU, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits with two strikeouts. She is now 7-0 on the year.
Fort Hays State returns home to host a pair of non-conference games against Wayne State (Neb.) on Wednesday (Feb. 28), starting at 2 pm.
