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Tigers sweep Buffs at home
3/20/2008
By CONOR NICHOLL
Hays Daily News
Senior pitcher Emily Rockefeller and freshman catcher Candice Kauffman have seen their roles change because of recent injuries to sophomore pitcher Adrian Mohr and sophomore catcher Jessika Anastos.
Rockefeller, used mainly as a closer, started Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader against West Texas A&M. Kauffman, a reserve for most of the year, caught both games behind the plate.
The duo helped the Fort Hays State University softball team win both contests at Tiger Stadium. Rockefeller tossed a shutout in first game and earned the win in a 2-0 victory.
"It was probably my best game," Rockefeller said. "I think I hit my spots a lot better today than most of my other games."
Kauffman, who had driven in one run all season, grounded a two-run single that eventually led to a 4-3 victory in extra innings in the second contest.
The performances helped Fort Hays end a three-game losing streak and move to 17-13 this season. Wednesday's contest opened a stretch of four straight home doubleheaders that extend through the weekend.
"As coaches we have high expectations for our kids and we are meeting those expectations in some areas and falling just shy of those expectations in others," Tiger head coach Tonja Hadley said. "Overall, any time you can come out with wins in close games, it is a good thing for your team."
Rockefeller and Kauffman received offensive help in the two games from Anastos and senior outfielder Anna Herl. Anastos, used as the designated hitter because of an injured shoulder, continued to post astronomical numbers.
She went 4-for-7 and hit a home run in the first game, her 10th of the season, and extended her hitting streak to nine. She has 15 multi-hit games in 28 contests this year. Overall, she is batting .529 with 10 homers and 30 RBI.
The NCAA does not release complete Div. II statistics until next week, but Anastos is likely leading, or among the national leaders, in several offensive categories.
"Probably as good I have seen, just in general, period," Hadley said of Anastos' season. "Whether in previous jobs or here. She is just a very talented hitter."
Herl also homered in the first game, a fifth inning shot that curled just inside the left field foul pole, and drove in the game-winning run with a RBI single in the second contest.
Rockefeller, though, was the foundation in game one. She earned her second shutout this year (team's third) and went seven innings for the first time since Feb. 9. Rockefeller, starting for the fourth time in 14 appearances, walked two in the first inning, but survived any problems on a batters' interference call on a stolen base attempt.
"I had to figure out (the umpire's) zone more than anything," she said. "My stuff was either a little too low or a little out for him."
After that, the senior cruised. Rockefeller's arsenal includes a curve, change and drop, but she relied mainly on her drop ball to toss four no-hit innings.
"She is a kid that gets better as she goes," Hadley said. "We make it a joke among our kids that I am sending her out there to go throw some more and go throw some more. ... I think it was a matter of her just settling into a groove."
West Texas threatened in the fifth when Christie Russell singled. She tried to steal second, and avoided the tag, but slid past the bag and was tagged out. Jessica Ruzicki followed with a double that could have scored a run.
Rockefeller improved to 7-3 overall and 3-1 as a starter after she faced seven batters in the last two innings.
In the second contest, Fort Hays, hurt by two first inning errors by second baseman Emily Herl, was down 2-1 in the sixth inning. Junior Hallie McMillen and Anastos started the inning with singles.
After a flyout, Anna Herl hit a hotshot grounder than hit off West Texas third baseman's Audrey Wallace's leg and stayed on the infield to load the bases. Kauffman fell behind 0-2 on two outside pitches. She saw a third pitch, high and outside, and grounded it up the middle for two runs.
Kauffman, who had just 22 at-bats and five hits entering Wednesday, tripled her season RBI total with the hit.
"I just told her to get your hands there, see where it is at and stay on the ball for a long time and good things are going to happen," Hadley said. "She came through and that was nice for her, because has had a tendency to look at quite a few pitches."
West Texas tied the game against freshman Kayla Rupa (5-5) in the seventh, before the Tigers won the game on Anna Herl's ground ball single between first and second.
Sports Reporter Conor Nicholl can be reached at (785) 628-1081 Ext. 127 or at
cnicholl@dailynews.net.
| 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 |
