Tigers win opener but Spring Hill takes tourney

Fort Scott pitcher Hannah Geneva pitches to a Baxter Springs batter during the first game of the Fort Scott Tournament at Don Hewett Field Tuesday afternoon. Geneva allowed 2 earned runs on 7 hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out 9 in a 14-4 win. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

Fort Scott High School's softball team went 1-1 in its annual season-opening home tournament Tuesday afternoon and settled for second place on its home field.

The Tigers beat Baxter Springs 14-4 in the first round. They met Spring Hill, which beat Pittsburg 12-5 in the other semifinal, in the championship game. The Broncos won that game 7-2.

Sophomore pitcher Hannah Geneva allowed 2 unearned runs on 7 hits in the win over Baxter Springs. She didn't walk anyone and struck out 9 Lions. She pitched even though she had suffered an injury when a piece of metal somehow got into her eye, requiring a trip to the emergency room. The injury flared up between games and she was not able to play against Spring Hill.

Kyenne Wade rounds third base after she led off the fourth inning of the semifinal game with what is believed to be the first over-the-fence home run by a high-school player at Don Hewett Field in at least 10 seasons. Only two other Fort Scott players are on record as recording that feat. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

Junior Kyenne Wade hit a home run over the 14-foot fence in left field in the fourth inning of the opener. It's believed that she is just the third high-school player to go over the fence at Don Hewett Field. Meay Chau Harper, who graduated in 1997, was the first. Leslie Goddard, who graduated in 2004, was the second.

Fort Scott 14, Baxter Springs 4.

Both teams scored twice in the first inning. Baxter Springs got its first four batters on base before the Tigers were able to get out of the inning.

Katie Gorman singled to lead off the bottom half, stole second, moved up on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch. Riley Brown doubled with 2 out and scored on Karlee Stanley's single to left.

Six went up in the second for the Tigers to make it 8-2. Ericah Shoemaker led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. She scored on Gorman's sacrifice fly.

Taylor Krokroskia restarted the rally with a 2-out single, then stole second. Geneva singled to right-center. The Lions tried to get Krokroskia at the plate but failed when the throw was high, which in turn allowed Geneva to get all the way to third.

Brown drew a walk and Wade was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Stanley, who cleared them with a triple. She later scored on an error by Spring Hill's shortstop on Bailey Brown's grounder.

The Tigers added four more in the fourth to make it 12-2.Wade led off with her home run, which appeared to clear the scoreboard in left. If it didn't, it still cleared the fence just to the right of it with plenty of height to spare.

Stanley, Cassidy Riley -- who went in for Bailey Brown in the top of the inning -- and Shoemaker then drew consecutive walks, which forced Baxter Springs to change pitchers.

Gorman brought in two of the runners with a 2-out double and Krokroskia brought in Shoemaker with a single up the middle.

The Tigers lapsed a bit defensively in the top of the fifth with 2 errors aiding the Lions in scoring twice.

Fort Scott got those back in the bottom of the sixth to force the 10-run rule to stop the game. Shoemaker led off with a hustle single, beating out the shortstop's throw, then stole second. Denton singled to right to score Shoemaker, then stole second. Gorman walked and the runners pulled off a double steal. When Geneva hit a grounder down the line, Baxter's third baseman threw to first for the out instead of trying to throw Denton out at home. So even though Geneva was out, the game was over.

Gorman had 3 hits in the leadoff position for the Tigers while Krokroskia, Stanley and Shoemaker each had 2 of Fort Scott's 13 hits.

Spring Hill 7, Fort Scott 2.

By virtue of a coin toss, Spring Hill was the home team in the tournament's championship game and the Broncos made themselves at home.

The Tigers scored first as Gorman ended up going all the way around the bases after Spring Hill's third baseman threw wildly trying to get her at first base. The ball ended up rolling almost all the way to the fence.

Krokroskia singled and got to second on a wild pitch with nobody out but ended up stranded on third as Spring Hill pitcher Mary Kate Hale got the next three batters out in order.

The Broncos scored 4 runs in the bottom of the third inning, none of them earned, on 2 hits and four errors, two of which came on the same play. Spring Hill added a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to make it 7-1.

Riley Brown led off the top of the sixth with a double and scored on Delane Gray's sacrifice fly.

Gorman and Abby Denton each had 2 hits in the second game. But Hale allowed just one earned run on 6 hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out 9.

Dani Townley and Hailey Hilgendorf each had 2 hits for Spring Hill. Only three of the runs Wade allowed on 7 hits and 5 walks while striking out 5 were earned.

The Tigers will be back in action Thursday afternoon, hosting Girard in a non-league doubleheader at 4:30 at Don Hewett Field.

Semifinal

Fort Scott.......................... 260 402 x -- 14 13 3

Two out when game ended.

WP -- Geneva (1-0). LP -- Humphrey.

HR -- Fort Scott: Wade (1, 4th inn., none on, none out).

Game Two

Spring Hill......................... 004 120 x -- 7 7 2

WP -- Hale. LP -- Wade (0-1).

HR -- None.