Saturday marks second straight split for FSCC softball

A second consecutive walk-off win gave Fort Scott Community College's softball team a good start to the day at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex Saturday. But visiting Cloud County salvaged a split in Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division (Division II) play.

The Greyhounds won the opener in eight innings by a 2-1 score. Cloud took game two 6-2.

Fort Scott (3-9 division, 13-20 overall) enjoyed a walk-off 11-10 win on March 21 when Hayley Bledsoe scored Kaylan Morgan with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning of a doubleheader versus Kansas City Kansas, breaking a seven-game losing streak.

Saturday's opener saw Taylor Brecheisen's sacrifice fly bring in Aimee Wimp in the bottom of the eighth with the game winner. Wimp had led off the inning with a single, moved to second on Lauren Scott's safety and to third on Allie Rook's fielder's choice.

Fort Scott took the initial lead in the bottom of the first when Bledsoe hit her third home run of the season, a 2-out solo shot.

Cloud County (6-6, 13-13) tied the score in the top of the sixth. Jordan Ummel led off with a single, moved to second on a ground out and came in on Erin King's double.

Scott was 3 for 4 at the plate for the Greyhounds. Aubrey Smith (5-8) allowed 8 hits and no walks while striking out 2 as she went all 8 innings in the pitching circle.

Ummel continued to be a nemesis for the Greyhounds in the second game. She allowed 2 hits and 2 walks inside the circle while striking out 6 and also hit a leadoff homer in the fifth inning.

The Thunderbirds scored 4 runs on the top of the second off Wimp (4-4). Fort Scott got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Bledsoe scored on a 2-out Rooks single.

Cheyenne Brewer hit a one-out single to center in the seventh. Morgan followed with another single. Kylie Pfieffer, who was 2 for 4, hit a 2-out single to score Brewer. Bledsoe walked to load the bases but Ummel got a fly out to her right fielder to end the game.

The Greyhounds were scheduled to travel to Iola Tuesday to take on Allen in a conference doubleheader but that was postponed due to wet field conditions and rescheduled for April 7. They will play a non-conference twinbill at Hesston on Friday and a division double-dip at Hutchinson on Saturday. The results of the Hesston doubleheader count toward regional tournament seeding as do all of the Greyhounds' conference games.

Hesston is 4-6 in region games and would be the No. 8 seed in the Region VI Tournament if it began today. Fort Scott would be the No. 10 seed. The region will be split into two districts with each champion advancing to Nationals.

Game One

Fort Scott........................ 100 000 01 -- 2 8 4

One out when winning run scored.

WP -- Smith (5-8). LP -- Cope (3-5).

HR -- Fort Scott: Bledsoe (3, 1st inn., none on, 2 out).

Game Two

Fort Scott.......................... 000 100 1 -- 2 7 1

WP -- Ummel (7-4). LP -- Wimp (4-4).

HR -- Cloud County: Ummel (2, 5th inn., none on, none out).