HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball fell in both contests to No. 20 ranked Central Oklahoma on Saturday (Apr. 18) at Fleharty Family Field. The Tigers had a lead in game one only to see the Bronchos rally past in the latter half of the game by a score of 4-2. UCO took the high-scoring second contest 21-9 in five innings. UCO improved to 37-10 overall and 14-4 in the MIAA, while FHSU moved to 19-28 overall and 5-17 in the MIAA.
 
Game 1: Central Oklahoma 4, Fort Hays State 2
Myah Wolfe turned in a strong outing in the pitching circle for the Tigers, keeping the Bronchos off balance for the first four innings. FHSU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on an Audrey Gillespie two-run home run, but the Tiger bats were silenced all the way until the seventh inning. UCO rallied past with a three-run home run by Brooklyn Ryan in the fifth and the Bronchos added an insurance run in the seventh.
 
The Tigers tried to mount a rally in the seventh inning when Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson and Alexis Mohr singled with one out. A wild pitch moved the Tiger runners up to second and third, but Carleigh Kinnaird nailed down the win for UCO by entering in relief to get the final two Tiger batters by strikeout. Kinnaird picked up her third save of the season.
 
After roughing up UCO starter Shelby Beard with two runs on three hits in the first inning, the Tigers had a hard time solving reliever Madison Hamilton, who held the Tigers hitless for 6.0 innings until the two Tiger hits in the seventh. She struck out four and walked just one to earn the win.
 
Wolfe scattered 10 hits throughout the contest, but held UCO to just the four runs. She struck out one.
 
Game 2: Central Oklahoma 21, Fort Hays State 9 (5 inn.)
Central Oklahoma scored in all five innings of the run-rule shortened second contest. However, FHSU enjoyed an 8-run fifth inning to get the final score to 21-9 in a game that featured 30 runs and 36 hits between the teams in just five innings of action.
 
The Bronchos scored seven runs in the first inning to take a commanding lead. They added two in the second and three in the third to lead 12-0 before FHSU picked up its first run in the bottom of the third on an Audrey Gillespie sacrifice fly. UCO added three more in the fourth and six in the fifth to lead 21-1.
 
The Tigers put together a big rally on two outs in their half of the fifth. The inning featured all three Tiger seniors recording hits. A fielding error by UCO started the rally as two runs scored on a grounder off the bat of Abbey Duarte. Alexis Mohr delivered a two-RBI double, followed by an RBI double by Lilliana Ramirez-Johnson. The double parade continued as Gracie Johns drove in a run with a two-bagger, then Hannah Green doubled home two runs. The Tigers recorded seven hits in the inning.
 
Carleigh Kinnaird picked up the win by pitching the first three innings of the run-rule shortened game. She allowed one run. Kirstyn Barnard allowed six runs to the Tigers in 1.2 innings, all unearned, while Sydney Griffin could not record an out and allowed two. Madison Hamilton, the game-one winner, entered to get the final out of the game.
 
Solana Carpenter took the loss, allowing five runs in a third of an inning. Claire Kirby, Mackenzie Hudson, Korryn Johnson, Kamaya Soniea-Harris, and Abbey Duarte all had relief appearances.
 
The Tigers wrap up their regular season in two weeks when they head up to Nebraska-Kearney for a doubleheader on Saturday, May 2.