Can't
get to the game? Don't worry, we've got ya covered.
Tigers prove doubters wrong
4/29/2009
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
The Tigers had one last chance to prove everybody wrong.
Going into the season, the Fort Hays State University softball team was picked to finish ninth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, one spot out of a berth in the conference's postseason tournament.
After losing 4-1 to Pittsburg State University in Tuesday's first game of a doubleheader at Tiger Stadium, Fort Hays needed to win the second game to finish eighth in the standings -- and land the final spot in the postseason tournament.
"I had a lot of faith in our team," said third baseman Hallie McMillen, one of two seniors on the squad.
McMillen's faith was rewarded. The Tigers won the second game 6-2 to make the MIAA Championships, which start Thursday at Blue Valley Recreation Complex in Overland Park. Fort Hays (30-31) will play No. 1 seed University of Central Missouri (34-10) at 6 p.m.
"We've been up, down, all around this year," McMillen said. "If we compete hard, we can play with anybody."
First-year Tiger coach Julie LeMaire said the team took exception to its preseason ranking.
"The kids were very upset with that," LeMaire said. "They didn't feel they deserved a No. 9 ranking."
After losing Tuesday's opener, LeMaire reminded her players ninth place in the conference was where the Tigers would finish if they didn't win Game 2.
"I said if we lose this game, we're proving them right," LeMaire said.
Despite a shaky start to Game 2, the Tigers came through with just enough timely hitting to back the strong pitching of junior right-hander Adrian Mohr. Fort Hays finished 6-14 in the MIAA, one game ahead of Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University.
After Pittsburg State (31-22 overall, 11-9 MIAA) scored a run in the top of the first, Fort Hays loaded the bases with nobody out in the home half, but failed to score.
The Tigers broke through for two runs in the third to take their first lead of the day. Sophomore Kayla Rupa led off with a single, followed by a single from sophomore Sara Tani to put runners on first and second. One out later, Mohr singled to score Rupa, but Tani stopped short of third after realizing she couldn't beat the cutoff throw. Mohr tried to advance to second and got caught in a rundown long enough for Tani to also score on the play.
"Adrian got a late jump on that, turned out OK," LeMaire said. "She does OK getting in a rundown."
The Tigers added a run in the fifth. Mohr and McMillen singled with two out, and freshman Rachel Gemmill followed with an RBI double to make it 3-1.
Fort Hays added three runs in the sixth. Freshman Cortney Brown homered to left field with one out, another run scored on an error and freshman Lauren Duran singled in the final run.
Pittsburg State threatened in its final at-bat, loading the bases with nobody out. But Mohr escaped, giving up just one run. Mohr (13-11) pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits, with two walks and no strikeouts.
"Adrian's been doing a great job," LeMaire said. "Her game has been a 180 (degree) turn.
"She does a good job with offspeed pitches," LeMaire added. "Most of her groundouts are offspeed pitches."
Junior Tiffany Swanson (10-11) gave up six runs on 14 hits for the Gorillas.
Rupa was the hard-luck loser in Game 1. Rupa (16-18) allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits, with no walks and two strikeouts.
Gorilla junior Melissa Slayden improved to 20-8, scattering six hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Fort Hays got an unearned run in the fifth to make it 2-1, but Pittsburg State scored twice in the sixth.
But the frustration of Game 1 turned into joy after Game 2. A grounder to McMillen was the final out, sending the Tigers to the MIAA tourney.
"It's a completely new season," McMillen said. "Whoever is hot is going to win the tournament."
The Tigers could face Central Missouri senior left-hander Megan Leonard in the opener. Leonard, the National Pitcher of the Week, is 18-1 and leads the nation with a 0.41 earned-run average.
"If we face Leonard, she's going to be tough to hit," LeMaire said.
But the Tigers don't mind being the eighth seed this weekend. It all goes back to being picked to finish near the bottom of the conference standings before the season began.
"We all knew we had a lot of talent on the team," McMillen said. "It was frustrating being the ninth pick.
"We like the underdog mindset," she added.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |
| BB | 03/07 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 13-7 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 16-4 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | W 3-0 |
| MB | 03/05 | Emporia State | L 65-61 |
| BB | 03/05 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 10-3 |
| WB | 03/04 | No. 15 Emporia | L 72-66 |
| WB | 02/28 | No. 12 Emporia State | L 87-80 |
| MB | 02/28 | Emporia State | W 94-47 |
| SB | 02/28 | Quincy | L 6-0 |
| SB | 02/27 | Mo Southern | W 9-3 |
| SB | 02/27 | Missouri S&T | L 8-3 |
| SB | 02/27 | Drury | W 17-10 |
| BB | 02/27 | Mo. Western | W 17-0 |
| BB | 02/27 | Mo. Western | W 3-2 (10 inn.) |
| BB | 02/26 | Mo. Western | W 12-8 |
| BB | 02/26 | Missouri Western | W 11-10 |
| MB | 02/24 | Pittsburg State | W 69-60 |
| WB | 02/24 | Pittsburg State | L 78-74 |
| MB | 02/21 | Mo. Southern | L 76-57 |