EDMOND, Okla. -- Fort Hays State took advantage of four errors to defeat Midwestern State 5-4 in the Edmond Regional Festival Saturday afternoon at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.
The miscues spoiled a wildly effective performance by MSU starter
Malea Rodriguez. The junior transfer from Texas Southern permitted a single earned run in six innings with four strikeouts.
Rodriguez, however, put the Mustangs in a hole by walking bases loaded with no outs in the second inning. She issued a total of five bases on balls in the start and nearly worked her way out of the early jam.
But after Betsy Parmley hit a sacrifice fly for FHSU's only earned run of the game, an infield error allowed the Tigers to re-load the bases.
Regan Curry drove in a second run on a groundout to shortstop before Lindsey Kelly pushed in a third run on an infield single to push the Fort Hays State advantage to 3-1.
The Tigers added single unearned runs in the third and fifth innings before hanging on for the win.
Freshman
Maci Sanders laced an RBI double down the left-field line for the first run of the game to drive in
Bailey Brenek, who reached on a leadoff single in the Mustangs.
Sanders proved key in producing MSU's second run in the fifth inning when she reached on an infield single and stole second base before scoring on
Daylan Inkman's single to left field to narrow the FHSU advantage to 4-2.
Sophomore
Kerris Cameron pulled MSU even closer with an RBI triple to right field to plate Brenek then scored on a wild pitch to cut FHSU's lead to 5-4 heading into the seventh inning.
But Fort Hays State starter Savanah Egger put the Mustangs down in order in the seventh to preserve the first win of the season for the Tigers. Egger allowed four earned runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts.
Brenek went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs for her third consecutive multi-hit game, while Sanders logged her first two collegiate hits including double with a run scored and an RBI.
Junior
Ashley Turner delivered her third double of the season to extend her hitting streak to six consecutive game dating back to last season. She has reached bases in each of her last eight games.
Kelly had two hits to pace Fort Hays State's four-hit attack as the Tigers improved to 2-6.
Midwestern State (1-3) closes play in the Edmond Regional Festival Sunday morning against Rogers State. First pitch at Pinkston Stadium is set for 10:30 a.m.
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-- MSUMustangs.com --
