TOPEKA, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball split a pair of games on Saturday (Feb. 27) at the Washburn Invitational. The Tigers fell 3-1 in their weekend opener to Missouri-St. Louis, but bounced back for an 8-0 run-rule win over Sioux Falls.
 
Missouri-St. Louis 3, Fort Hays State 1
The Tigers struggled to find runs despite producing seven hits in a loss to Missouri-St. Louis. The Tigers left six runners on base, and a golden opportunity with bases-loaded and no-outs in the second ended with a strike out, a pop up, and a ground out.
 
The Tigers surrendered single runs to the Tritons in the second, third, and fourth innings. Jenna Towle doubled home a run in the second, Irene Travis produced a sacrifice fly in the third, and the Tigers committed an error in the fourth to allow a run.
 
Sara Breckbill generated the only run for the Tigers with an RBI double in the sixth. Hannah Gates scored on the play, who came in to pinch run for Kristen Reed who doubled earlier in the inning.
 
Michaelanne Nelson took the loss for FHSU in the pitching circle. She allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks. She struck out five. Jenna Towle earned the complete-game win for UMSL, scattering seven hits with no walks. She also struck out five.
 
Fort Hays State 8, Sioux Falls 0
The Tigers scored their runs in bunches in the second contest of the day, forcing the eight-run rule by the end of the fifth. The Tigers plated three in the first, two in the fourth, and three in the fifth to build the 8-0 lead. Hailey Chapman finished with a complete-game shutout in the pitching circle.
 
In the first inning, Loren Beggs, Lexi Kagan, and Lily Sale all produced RBIs. In the fourth, Sara Breckbill drew a bases loaded walk and Beggs drove in another run to make it 5-0. The Tigers plated all three runs in the fifth inning with the help of a pair of errors by the Cougars. Grace Philop had an RBI on a comebacker that ricocheted off the pitcher's glove and then another run scored on a throwing error. Kagan capped the scoring with an RBI single down the third base line.
 
Chapman allowed only three hits and walked one in her 5.0 inning shutout effort. She struck out four. Shayla Shaver took the loss for Sioux Falls, surrendering eight runs (five earned) on nine hits and four walks. She also hit four Tiger batters, but struck out five.
 
Fort Hays State returns to action on Sunday, facing Truman at 10 am and then Wayne State at 4 pm. The Tigers are now 3-7 overall on the season.