The Tigers (10-11, 4-4 MIAA) remain in the Denver area on Wednesday for a doubleheader with Colorado Mines in Golden, Colo. The first game is set to begin at Noon MT.
Complete recaps of Tuesday’s games are below.
Fort Hays State 3, Metro State 0 (Eight innings)
Paxton Duran threw a complete game shutout and hit the game winning three-run home run in extras to help Fort Hays State pick up a win in extra innings over Metro State.
Duran (5-5) threw all eight innings for the win, scattering six hits and walking five runners while striking out nine. She also was 1-for-4 at the plate with her first home run of the season.
Erin Elmore and Samantha Villarreal were each 2-for-4 on the day, with Villarreal and Amanda Vaupel (1-for-3) hitting doubles.
The Tigers looked to strike in the top of the second behind Vaupel’s leadoff double, but after moving her to third with two outs, FHSU couldn’t push the senior home and the game remained scoreless.
Metro State matched the Tigers’ threats in its half of the second, moving Kaylynn Harmon to third with two outs before Duran got her third strikeout of the inning to retire the side.
FHSU put runners in scoring position with two outs in the fourth but again were held off the scoreboard, keeping the score intact.
Courtney Dobson looked to get things going for FHSU in the fifth with a leadoff single, but could only find her way to second after three quick outs followed.
The Tigers again threated in the sixth with a leadoff single from Samantha Villarreal, but nothing happened over the final two offensive opportunities for the Tigers.
Scoreless through seven, FSHU and MSU headed to extras where Erin Elmore led off the top half of the eighth with a single – moving to second on a throwing error. After Adara Erickson pinch ran for Elmore, Erickson was thrown out at third trying to advance on Tori Beltz‘s single into center field, but the Tigers weren’t done. Next up, Villarreal doubled down the left field line to push Beltz to third, putting both runners in scoring position
With two outs in the inning, Duran helped her own cause by driving a 1-0 pitch over the left center wall for a three-run blast, scoring Beltz and Villarreal and helping the Tigers take a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
MSU saw two runners reach base in the eighth behind a single and fielder’s choice (though neither runner moved past first), but a line out and a strikeout from Duran – her ninth of the day – ended the game.
Metro State 6, Fort Hays State 0
Fort Hays State was no-hit in the finale on Saturday, failing to put a baserunner on until the seventh inning in a 6-0 loss.
Kelsey Kimminau (4-6) started the game and through four innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts.Sarah Cochran tossed the final two innings with one hit allowed.
MSU took a 1-0 lead in the second as Chelsea Brew doubled with two outs before coming around to score on an FHSU error.
The Roadrunners extended their lead in the third, using RBI singles from Carissa Terry and Sarena Espinoza and Brew to take a 5-0 lead.
In the fifth, Metro State furthered the lead to 6-0 after an RBI triple from Terry, but that was it for the Roadrunners as FHSU regrouped and shut down the home team over the final two innings.
Offensively, FHSU’s only baserunner was Kylie Strand in the seventh after she drew a leadoff walk, eventually moving to second on Erin Elmore‘s groundout.