FHSU Sports Information Department
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State struggled to score runs on the second day of competition at the 8-State Classic in Arkansas. The Tigers fell to Southwest Baptist 6-0 and took the No. 5 ranked team in the nation, Southern Arkansas, to extra-innings eventually falling 5-1. FHSU is now 2-7 overall.
Southwest Baptist 6, Fort Hays State 0
Southwest Baptist took advantage of an error in the first inning to score a pair of unearned runs and steadily pulled away to win 6-0 in the first contest of the day. The Tigers committed three errors that resulted in a total of three unearned runs for the Bearcats. SBU also had a pair of solo home runs in the game.
The Tigers had several opportunities to score, leaving 10 runners on base. Six of the 10 were left on over the first three innings. Hunter Middleton pitched the first 2.1 innings for SBU, allowing five walks and a hit, but Claire Miller pitched the final 4.2 and allowed just two hits and a walk to the Tigers. Miller picked up the win in relief.
Hailey Chapman pitched a complete game for FHSU. She allowed seven hits and four walks and surrendered just three earned runs. She is now 2-4 overall.
#5 Southern Arkansas 5, Fort Hays State 1 (9 inn.)
Carrie Clarke held the nation’s No. 5 ranked team to just one run over eight innings, but ran into trouble in the second extra inning of the game. The Tigers could not capitalize on two chances to upset the Muleriders.
Clarke surrendered a solo home run in the fifth, but Bailey Kennedy knotted the game back up at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning with a RBI single.
FHSU had runners reach base in both the sixth and seventh, but could not come up with a hit to break the tie. Extra innings were played without using the international tiebreaker rule, so both teams went quietly in the eighth.
In the ninth, the Mulerider offense came alive on a two-run homer by Brooke Goad. SAU knocked in two more runs on RBI singles before Lexie Kimminau entered to get the final out of the inning. The Tigers had a runner reach base with one out in the ninth, but could not produce a rally.
Southern Arkansas starter Victoria Taylor moved to 7-0 on the season, allowing six hits and a walk in her complete game effort. Clarke allowed 12 hits and six walks in the loss. She is now 0-2 on the season.
The Tigers play two more games on Sunday facing East Central and Ouachita Baptist.