TOPEKA, Kan. – Fort Hays State split its first two games of the Washburn Invitational on Friday (Feb. 20). The Tigers dropped their opening contest 9-5 to Minnesota Crookston, but bounced back for a 12-2 win over Montana State-Billings in six innings. The Tigers moved to 3-4 on the season.
Highlights of the day included six hits by
Hannah Green over the two games, going 3-for-5 in both, and a complete game in the pitching circle by
Korryn Johnson in the 12-2 win.
Minnesota Crookston 9, Fort Hays State 5
Fort Hays State briefly held a lead in the first contest of the day through four innings, but Minnesota Crookston slipped past with six runs over the final three innings to pick up its first-ever win over FHSU. The Golden Eagles had never scored more than one run against the Tigers in the five previous meetings.
The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and third innings, but the Tigers cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when
Kaydawn Haag scored on an attempted double steal where the Tigers sacrificed an out for a run.
After UMC scored another run in the top of the fourth, the Tigers rallied past in the bottom half to take a 4-3 lead.
Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson singled home a run, then Haag tied the game with another RBI single.
Hannah Green used her speed to beat out a chopper to second base, driving in the third run of the inning.
The Golden Eagles leveled the game in the top of the fifth with a solo home run, then doubled home a run to go back on top 5-4. They added an unearned run in the sixth and another pair of unearned runs in the seventh to pull away. The Tigers countered with a single run in the bottom of the sixth, also an unearned run on an error off the bat of
Audrey Gillespie.
Claire Kirby (1-2) took the loss, going 4.2 innings and allowing five runs. She struck out four.
Myah Wolfe (1.1 IP),
Solana Carpenter (0.1 IP), and
Kamaya Soniea-Harris (0.2 IP) threw in relief and none of their combined four runs allowed were earned.
Megan Surgenor picked up the win in the pitching circle, throwing a complete game. She yielded 11 hits and walked five, while striking out six batters.
Fort Hays State 12, Montana State-Billings 2
Fort Hays State's offense was firing on all cylinders in the second game of the day, recording 17 hits.
Hannah Green,
Peyton Shepard, and
Paige Thexton all recorded 3-hit games, while
Audrey Gillespie,
Abbey Duarte, and
Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson all had two hits. All but one Tiger in the starting lineup recorded a hit.
The Tigers took command right out of the gate with a 5-run first inning. Duarte singled in the first run, then Ramirez-Johnson drove in two with another single.
Lilly Mohr capped the big inning with a 2-RBI double. Duarte then extended the lead to 6-0 in the second inning with an RBI groundout.
MSU Billings picked up its first run in the bottom of the second, but went scoreless in the third and fourth as the Tigers continued to pull away. Gillespie drove in a run in the fourth on a single, then in the fifth Green and Shepard had back-to-back RBI doubles. The Yellowjackets picked up one more run in the fifth, but FHSU still had a commanding 9-2 lead.
Gracie Johns put an exclamation point on the win in the sixth with a 2-run laser beam homer over the left field wall.
Ally Donovan was able to get a run home later in the inning by putting the ball in play and reaching by error.
Korryn Johnson picked up the first complete game of her career, going 6.0 innings with four strikeouts, while scattering seven hits. She moved to 1-1 on the season.
Fort Hays State returns to action on Saturday at noon and 2 p.m. The Tigers face Rockhurst and Drury at Washburn Rural High School. Only live stats will be available for each game.
