Complete recaps of Tuesday’s action.
Rockhurst 6, Fort Hays State 2
Paxton Duran (11-11) took the loss, throwing six innings with six runs allowed (five earned) on seven hits. Duran struck out one and walked one as well.
Tori Beltz was 2-for-3 on the day while Kylie Strand, Samantha Villarreal and Mackenzie Villarreal each had doubles.
FHSU struck fast in the top of the first, starting with Kylie Strand‘s leadoff double. Erin Elmore followed with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Strand and giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. From there, FHSU threatened to score again after Tori Beltz singled for the Tigers’ third straight hit, putting two runners on with no outs. A double play, however, hurt the Tigers’ chances and the score remained the same until RU answered in its half of the first, and tied the game at 1-all behind Demi Plathe’s RBI double.
That score held until the bottom of the fourth, when RU used two hits, one hit batter, two fielder’s choices and an FHSU error to break out with a 5-1 lead. From there, the Tigers looked to strike back after loading the bases with just one out in the top of the fifth, but were held off the board for the fourth straight inning.
Another run for the Hawks made it 6-1 in the fifth, and though the Tigers got one back in the top of the sixth, it wasn’t enough. FHSU put runners on second and third with no outs after Beltz singled and Samantha Villarreal doubled, and with one out Mackenzie Villarreal doubled to drive home Gabrielle Sandoval (who pinch ran for Beltz).
Fort Hays State 2, Rockhurst 1 (Eight innings)
Kelsey Kimminau (11-9) threw a complete game for the win, giving up one run with just two hits allowed, striking out two.
FHSU had just four hits in the game, spread between Beltz, Samantha Villarreal, Amanda Vaupel and Courtney Dobson. Beltz’s seventh home run of the season gave FHSU a 1-0 lead in the first, and Dobson’s double was the Tigers other extra base hit.
Up 1-0 after Beltz’s two-out home run in the first, FHSU held that advantage until the foruth when a leadoff walk helped RU tie it, 1-1.
The Tigers threatened to regain the lead in the seventh by loading the bases with one out, but couldn’t push the go-ahead run home. RU put a runner on the bottom of the seventh as well, but Kimminau and the Tigers forced extras by keeping the game tied.
Strand was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth, moving to second on Erin Elmore‘s sacrifice bunt. From there, Beltz reached on a fielding error on a hit to the outfield, and Strand dashed home for the go ahead run before a three up, three down bottom half of the eighth for the Hawks.