Hays, Kan. - Missouri Southern Softball swept a pair of MIAA games at Fort Hays State Thursday afternoon winning 12-3 in five innings and 5-4 at Tiger Stadium.
Missouri Southern (15-24, 4-6 MIAA) almost recreated their seventh inning against Fort Hays State (9-25, 2-6 MIAA) from the West Texas A&M Tournament but came one run shy in the third inning in game one, the Lions scored nine runs in the top of the seventh in Canyon for the 16-14 come from behind win on Feb. 11th.
Southern got things started in the second inning with a double to left center from junior Shelby Friend that scored sophomore Angel Badalamenti. Sophomore Kylie Wesbrooks stepped into the batter's box next and laced a double to center to score both Friend and freshman Erika Lutgen to make it 3-0.
Fort Hays state got a run back in the bottom half of the second with a RBI double of their own to cut the lead to 3-1 after two innings of play.
The flood gates opened in the top of the third as Southern struck for eight runs on six hits and two Tiger errors. Senior Sarah Morrison started the inning off with a single to center and promptly stole second. Freshman Elizabeth Windsor moved Morrison to third on a single to left and she also stole second on the next play.
Junior Myranda Stewart worked the count to 3-1 before sending a shot to deep left center for a two RBI double. Sophomore Ashley Caldarella laid down a bunt single that put runners on the corners with no outs. A single to right center on an 0-1 pitch by Badalamenti scored Stewart and chased the Fort Hays starting pitcher, Carrie Clarke, with the Lions leading 6-1.
The relief pitcher, Lexie Kimminau, was welcomed to the game with a sacrifice bunt by Lutgen that scored Caldarella. With no outs and runners on first and second Friend singled through the left side of the FHSU defense and scored Badalamenti from second to make it 8-1.
Wesbrooks grounded into a fielder's choice that put out Lutgen headed to third for the first out of the inning. Junior Abi Corbett walked to load the bases and brought up freshman Emily Harris to pinch hit for Morrison. During Harris' at bat the Lions scored one on a wild pitch and Harris would reach after a 2-2 strike out on another wild pitch that scored Wesbrooks for a 10-1 lead.
On the next pitch Harris stole second and a fielding error by the Tiger shortstop allowed Corbett to score from third to make it 11-1 at the end of the third.
Southern tacked one more run on in the fourth that was started by a single back to the FHSU pitcher by Badalamenti and a hit by pitch to Lutgen put runners on first and second with no outs. Friend came up to the plate looking for her third hit and third RBI of the game and sent a 1-0 pitch through the left side for just those to make it 12-1.
Following a Missouri Southern error in the bottom of the fourth, Tess Gray hit a two-run home run over the left field fence to make the final score 12-3.
Senior Sydney Koch went the five innings for the win allowing three FHSU runs, two earned, on five hits with a pair of strike outs.
In game two, Southern got things started in the first inning as they manufactured a run after Corbett led off with an infield single to third base and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Morrison. Corbett scored during Windsor's at bat when the throw on her stolen base sailed into left field.
Fort Hays would get the run back in the home half of the first with a RBI double down the left field line from Veronica Knittig.
The Lions broke the tie in the second with a solo home run from Caldarella and a RBI single to left from Wesbrooks, her third RBI on the day, to make it 3-1.
The Tigers plated three runs in the bottom of the third to take their first lead of the day at 4-3 before Wesbrooks connected on a double to right center in the top of the fourth for her fourth RBI of the day to tie the game at 4-4.
The scored stayed tied at 4-4 until the top of the sixth when Lutgen led off with a double to center and moved to third on a ground out from Wesbrooks. Corbett singled to left on the next at bat to score Lutgen before being thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double.
With a 5-4 lead headed to the bottom of the sixth sophomore Taurean Guzman got the first FHSU batter to ground out to Stewart at second before Ashley Beavers singled up the middle. With Beavers on first Jeni Mohr flied out to left and Guzman got Bailey Kennedy to ground out to Caldarella to send the game to the seventh.
The Lions were poised to add at least another run in the top of the seventh until the FHSU second baseman, Lily Sale, climbed the ladder to rob Stewart of a double and a RBI and then doubled off Windsor at first to send the game into the home half of the seventh.
With a one out double to left center by Knittig, Missouri Southern head coach Melissa Chmielewski made a switch in the circle and brought in Koch to close out the game. Koch got Boxberger to go down looking and Candace Bollig to ground out back to the circle for the save.
Guzman went six and a third allowing four runs, all earned, on 10 hits with a walk and two strike outs.
Southern will be back in action tomorrow as they travel to Hastings, Nebraska and the Smith Softball Complex. Game times tomorrow have been pushed back to 2 p.m.
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