FSCC softball wins 4 of 6

Fort Scott Community College’s softball team made it 7-0 by winning the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader versus State Fair, Mo., at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex before falling in the second game, 11-7. That loss was the farthest into a season the program has gone before suffering its first defeat.

Sunday, the Greyhounds swept the Park University junior varsity at the BRW by scores of 9-1 and 11-3. Monday, they split at Maple Woods, Mo., losing game one 8-2 but winning the nightcap 11-4.

Saturday’s opener resulted in an 8-5 win as pitcher Abby Cox earned her third win of the season and Shelby Choate belted her third home run. State Fair won the second game, 11-7.

The Greyhounds, a Division II program, had to both rally from an early deficit and hold off a late rally to win the opener. Division I State Fair (3-7) led 2-0 after three innings.

The rally happened in the bottom of the fourth. Aimee Wimp drew a leadoff walk. Then Heather Bledsoe singled. A passed ball moved the runners up for Madison Druse, whose single scored Wimp with the Greyhounds’ first run. Druse stole second, then Bledsoe scored the tying run on a groundout. Brooklyn Walters doubled in Druse to give Fort Scott the lead.

State Fair tied it in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by Gabi McGinty. Choate ’s solo homer in the bottom of the inning gave the ’Hounds the lead again. Wimp was hit by a pitch and Galvin singled. Wimp was caught stealing but Bledsoe’s double drove in Galvin to make it 5-3.

Walters singled with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a passed ball. Allie Rooks reached on an error. Taylor Krokroskia entered to pinch run for Rooks. Choate hit a fly ball that was dropped by the right fielder, allowing Walters to score with 2 out. Wimp followed up with a double that scored both Krokroskia and Choate to make it 8-3.

State Fair scored twice in the top of the seventh.

Galvin, Bledsoe, Druse and Cox each had 2 hits for the Greyhounds. Cox pitched all 7 innings, allowing 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5.

The 7-0 start exceeded the previous known-best start of 6-0 in 2002. It was also the program’s 401st win as it turned out that the win over North Arkansas in Thursday’s second game was No. 400.

State Fair won the second game with 9 runs over the final three innings. Fort Scott led 4-2 after one and 5-2 after four.

The Roadrunners scored 3 in the top of the fifth, once in the sixth and 5 in the seventh to go into the bottom of the frame ahead 11-5.

Choate singled for the Greyhounds leading off the bottom of the seventh. Wimp drew a walk and Galvin singled. Bledsoe drew a bases-loaded walk to force Choate home and Wimp scored in Druse grounded into a fielder’s choice. However, State Fair got a pop-fly to second and a groundout to third to end the game.

Rooks was 4 for 4 for the Greyhounds while Choate and Sierra Sanderson each had 2 hits. MacKenze Gudde was 3 for 3 for State Fair while McGinty and Mikayla Gustin each drove in 3 runs.

Sunday, the ’Hounds swept Park’s JV 9-1 and 11-3. They scored in every inning of the opener except the second with the game called with 2 out in the bottom of the fifth due to the 8-run rule.

Galvin was 3 for 4 with 3 runs batted in. She hit a solo homer with 2 out in the bottom of the fourth. Rooks was also 3 for 4 while Sanderson, Cox and Walters were each 2 for 3 and Choate was 2 for 4.

Cox (4-1) allowed 5 hits, didn’t walk anyone and struck out 5.

Fort Scott scored in every inning of the second game from the second inning on. As was the case with the opener, the nightcap ended with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.

Sanderson was 3 for 4 for the Greyhounds and drove in 3 runs. Choate and Britney Smith were each 2 for 3 and Druse was 2 for 3. Rooks and Wimp each drove in 2 runs.

In Monday’s opener against Division I Maple Woods (6-6), the Greyhounds scored both of their runs in the top of the fourth inning when Druse’s single scored Wimp and Rachel Merrick. However, Maple Woods scored 3 in the bottom of the inning to make it 7-2.

Druse was 2 for 4 at the plate for the Greyhounds, who were held to 6 hits by Karen Jaggers (4-2).

Fort Scott only needed 9 hits in game two as the Monarchs committed 3 errors. The scoring began in the top of the second as Britney Smith’s double drove in Bledsoe and Gavin. Sanderson, Choate, and Wimp each drew 2-out walks, the latter two forcing in runs that made it 4-0.

Galvin walked to lead off the third and Druse reached on a bunt single. They were moved up on a Walters sacrifice. Galvin scored on a Smith single and Druse came on a Rooks sacrifice bunt.

Wimp scored on a passed ball in the fourth to make it 7-0. Sanderson walked, moved up on a passed ball and scored on Wimp’s single in the fifth. Maple Woods scored all its runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Galvin walked, moved up on a sacrifice, reached third on a passed ball and scored on a groundout to make it 9-4 after six.

Rooks drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and scored on a 1-out Choate double. Choate scored the game’s final run on a 2-out error.

Choate, Wimp, and Smith each had 2 hits for the Greyhounds. Smith drove in 3 runs while Choate and Wimp each drove in 2.

Tailor Hutsell (5-0) allowed 4 runs on 10 hits. But she didn’t walk anyone while striking out 4.

The Greyhounds will play in the Crowder Bash, a multiple-team bet-together, this weekend in Joplin. Friday, the ’Hounds will take on Southeastern (Iowa) at Noon and Mineral Area, Mo., at 4 p.m. Saturday, they’ll take on host Crowder at 10 a.m., Northeastern Oklahoma A&M at Noon and Jefferson, Mo. at 4 p.m.

NOTES — Fort Scott has added a home doubleheader against the North Dakota State School of Science for Monday. Play will begin at 2 p.m. at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex....

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Saturday’s Games

Game One

State Fair........................... 002 010 2 — 5 7 3

Fort Scott.......................... 400 323 x — 8 10 0

WP — Cox (4-0). LP — Love (0-2).

HR — State Fair: McGinty (4, 5th inn., none on, 1 out). Fort Scott: Choate (3, 5th inn., none on, 1 out).

Game Two

State Fair........................... 200 031 5 — 11 13 1

Fort Scott.......................... 400 010 2 — 7 12 1

WP — Love (1-2). LP — Cox (4-1).

HR — State Fair: McGinty (5, 1st inn., none on, 2 out), Gustin (2, 7th inn., 1 on, 2 out).

———

Sunday’s Games

Game One

Park JV................................ 000 01x x — 1 5 1

Fort Scott........................... 204 12x x — 9 17 1

Two out when game ended.

WP — Cox (5-1). LP — Williams.

HR — Fort Scott: Galvin (1, 4th inn., none on, 2 out).

Game Two

Park JV................................ 100 02x x — 3 10 0

Fort Scott........................... 013 43x x — 11 13 0

Two out when game ended.

WP — Hutsell (4-0). LP — Williams.

HR — None.

———

Monday’s Games

Game One

Fort Scott........................... 000 200 0 — 2 6 1

Maple Woods................... 040 310 x — 8 12 2

WP — Jaggers (4-2). LP — Cox (5-2).

HR — None.

Game Two

Fort Scott........................... 042 111 2 — 11 9 2

Maple Woods................... 000 040 0 — 4 10 3

WP — Hutsell (5-0). LP — Patterson (1-3).

HR — Maple Woods: McDonald (2, 5th inn., 1 on, 2 out).