HAYS, Kan. – Two valiant comeback efforts ran out of time in Hays Friday afternoon as the Missouri Western softball team split a doubleheader with Fort Hays State Friday. The Tigers nearly came back from seven down in game one and the Griffons came up one run short of completing a seven run comeback themselves in game two.

GAME 1: #14 MWSU 7, Fort Hays 5

Missouri Western held off a late charge by Fort Hays to pick up the victory in game one. The Tigers scored five runs in the last two innings and brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh.

The Griffons jumped out to a 7-0 lead after five and a half innings. The Tigers picked up three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to make it interesting. Kailey Green hit a three-run, two out home run in the first to put MWSU on the board. Green scored the team’s fourth run of the game in the fourth when she scored on Shelbie Atwell’s ground out. MWSU got three more two-out runs in the sixth. Tiffany Gillaspy drove in two with a doubled down the left field line and Sydney Washington made it 7-0 with a single up the middle that brought Gillaspy home.

Janie Smith hung on for the win, going all seven innings and allowing three earned runs on seven hits. She struck out four and walked three. Smith improved her record to 13-5 on the year. Green went 2-4 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored. Atwell and Megan Korgie both went 2-3, as did Washington.

GAME 2: Fort Hays 8, #14 MWSU 7

A similar script with a role reversal from game one saw Fort Hays jump out to a 7-0 lead after the first two innings. After one run in each in the third and fourth innings, the Griffons scored three in the fifth and two in the sixth to have a chance headed to the seventh.

After two straight one-hit shutouts, Shyanne Saladino had her scoreless innings streak snapped when she gave up a three-run home run in the first. Then she gave up another in the second that chased her from the game, or so it seemed. Taylor Schaben gave up a two-run home run to the first batter she faced in relief. Two batters later it became a 7-0 lead for the Tigers.

Sydney Washington put MWSU on the board in the top of the third with an RBI single and Kailey Green’s second home run of the day pulled the Griffon within five in the fourth. After an error and a single put two Fort Hays runners on in the fourth, Saladino reentered. She surrendered an RBI-single that put Fort Hays up 8-2 before recording the final out of the inning. An RBI single from Katie Klosterman and a two-RBI single from Shelbie Atwell pulled the Griffons within three in the fifth. MWSU added two more in the sixth with a run scoring when Gillaspy reached on an error and an RBI double from Green. Saladino retired the Tigers in order in the bottom of the inning to set up the last chance for MWSU. Atwell led off the top of the seventh with a walk before Brooke Schaben popped up to the shortstop. Rebekah Mueller reached on a fielder’s choice that took Atwell off the bases and another pop up to short by Rathmann ended the game.

Green finished game two 2-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. On the day, she was 4-7 with five RBIs and four runs scored. Klosterman also had two hits in game two, going 2-3.

The split left the team’s record at 27-11, 11-3 in the MIAA. MWSU plays at Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday.

— MWSU Sports Information —