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get to the game? Don't worry, we've got ya covered.
Anastos hurt, but Tigers win two against Newman
4/17/2008
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
The Tigers had just lost one of the best hitters in the nation.
Never fear, Candice Kauffman is here.
Or something like that.
Kauffman, a backup catcher on the Fort Hays State University softball team, hit her first career homer to cement the Tigers' 4-1 win over Newman University in Wednesday's first game of a doubleheader.
Kauffman, starting for injured sophomore Jessika Anastos in Game 2, hit an RBI single as the Tigers won 7-6 in eight innings at Tiger Stadium.
Anastos, who went 2-for-3 with a homer in the opener, had to leave Game 1 in the top of the sixth after a hard collision on a play at the plate.
Anastos was motionless in the dirt for several minutes while the Tiger training staff examined her. She eventually got to her feet and walked off the field, and it was reported she went to the hospital.
"She just had a concussion," Fort Hays coach Tonja Hadley said. "She just got her bell rung pretty good."
Fort Hays (29-21) took a hit from Newman (11-29) in the second game, but rallied for the sweep of the nonconference doubleheader.
The Tigers wasted a 5-0 lead after two innings. Sophomore starter Jessica Hamilton pitched three scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the fourth. Senior Emily Rockefeller came in to start the fifth but blew the save, She didn't fool the Jet hitters, allowing two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to tie the game.
Freshman Kayla Rupa, who got a complete-game win in the opener, relieved Rockefeller to start the seventh and retired the side to give the Tigers a chance to win it in the bottom of the inning.
Fort Hays started a two-out rally with singles by seniors Alyson Garmatz and Anna Herl to put runners on first and second for freshman Mona Booco. But Booco lined out to first base to send the game into extra innings.
Because it was a nonconference game, the teams used international rules for extra innings. The top of the eighth started with a Newman runner on second base. The Jets capitalized, with sophomore Jennifer Stasiewicz hitting an RBI single.
Fort Hays had Booco on second to start the home half of the eighth against Newman senior reliever Joanne Fluker, who pitched a complete game in the opener.
Junior Terra Fraser bunted Booco to third, and was safe at first on an error. Junior Alex Eaton followed with a bunt single to advance Fraser to second, with Booco holding at third, to load the bases. Senior Emily Herl followed with a grounder to shortstop. With no play at the plate, the throw went to first to try to get Herl, but it was wild, allowing two runs to score to win the game.
"We've been resilient all year long," Hadley said. "Glad to see the kids execute."
Rupa picked up her second victory of the day to improve to 12-8 on the season. Fluker absorbed her second loss to fall to 7-17.
Fort Hays scored a run in the first on freshman Chelsea Luther's RBI grounder, then added four in the second off Newman freshman Allison Thummel. Eaton and freshman Sara Tani hit RBI singles, followed by junior Hallie McMillen's sacrifice bunt for another run. The final run of the inning scored on a single by Kauffman.
Kauffman entered the game in the opener after Anastos' injury and came to bat with a runner on in the bottom of the sixth and the Tigers protecting a 2-1 lead. Kauffman hit a drive over the wall in left field off Fluker for her first career homer.
"It was great for her," Hadley said. "She came up huge for us at the right time."
Not so great for the Tigers was Anastos' injury. In the top of the sixth, Newman had a run in to tie the game and had runners on second and third with one out. Fluker bunted the ball back to the pitcher, and Rupa threw home to try to get Jet junior baserunner Katie Sheahon. It was a bang-bang play at the plate, with another bang the collision between Sheahon and Anastos. Despite being bowled over, Anastos held onto the ball for the second out of the inning. Rupa got out of the jam by retiring the next batter on a fly ball to right.
But it was Anastos' ability to hold onto the ball that preserved the Tigers' one-run lead.
"She's not a big kid for the catcher position," Hadley said. "For her to take a beating definitely is a tribute of her toughness."
Anastos hit a homer down the line in left to lead off the fifth, her 13th of the season, for a 2-0 lead. She had gone 15 games without a homer, but still leads the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in home runs and is batting .504 with 43 RBIs.
Fort Hays took a 1-0 lead in the first on McMillen's RBI triple.
Rupa scattered seven hits in seven innings, with no walks and five strikeouts.
"She did a great job," Hadley said. "She's got the ability to be dominating."
Fort Hays is at home Tuesday for a 4 p.m. doubleheader against conference leader Emporia State University.
Game Notes
Emily Herl and Anna Herl both extended hitting streaks in the doubleheader, with Emily Herl now on an eight-game streak and Anna Herl having hit safely in seven straight. ... Tani, whose average was hovering around the .200 mark, went 4-for-7 in the two games with two runs scored and an RBI. ... Eaton, who hadn't played in nine games, had two hits, a run scored and an RBI in Game 2.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 5/11 | Central Missouri | L 4-2 |
| BB | 5/10 | Missouri Western | W 4-3 |
| BB | 5/09 | Emporia State | L 6-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | W 17-5 |
| BB | 5/04 | Pittsburg State | L 4-3 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 15-7 |
| BB | 5/03 | Pittsburg State | L 5-4 |
| SB | 5/02 | Central Missouri | L 3-1 |
| SB | 5/02 | Missouri Western | W 3-2 |
| SB | 5/01 | Pittsburg State | W 6-0 |
