Greyhounds salvage split in home opener

Sweet Springs, Mo., freshman Kathleen Tyler pitches to a Brown Mackie College batter during the fourth inning of the second game of a Region VI District doubleheader at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex in Fort Scott Friday afternoon. Tyler allowed no earned runs as Fort Scott Community College salvaged a split by winning 5-3. Brown Mackie won the opener, 3-0. (Scott Nuzum/Herald-Tribune)

FORT SCOTT -- It happened nearly two weeks later than they wanted but Fort Scott Community College's softball team finally played its home opener Friday afternoon.

The Greyhounds split a Region VI Division II district doubleheader with Brown Mackie, winning the second game 5-3 after dropping the opener 3-0 at the Betty Ruth Willard Complex.

The 'Hounds were scheduled to play their first home games on March 8 but saw three twinbills called either due to rain or field conditions. If the forecast of between a 60- and 70-percent chance of rain and thunderstorms proves not to hold up, they'll host Cloud County in a Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division doubleheader (which is also a district twinbill) at 1 p.m. this afternoon.

"We haven't been on our field all week with the rain an everything," Fort Scott head coach Malinda Berglund said. "It felt good to actually be outside and playing."

Brown Mackie pitcher Jenny Garcia was in complete control in the opener as she hurled a 1-hitter while walking only one batter and striking out 17. She also helped her own cause by belting a solo homer in the third inning, which made the score 3-0.

"We didn't make the adjustments we needed to in the first game," Berglund said. "The second game, we were lucky enough that she pitched that as well and we got on her and did what we needed to do."

Fort Scott's only hit was a 2-out double by Sarah Donnell in the first inning. She also drew the only walk in the fourth. Hannah Milton was the Greyhounds' only other baserunner as she reached on a leadoff error in the sixth but was eventually stranded at third.

Brown Mackie's first two runs came in the first inning. Frankie Belcher led off with a flair single and was bunted over by Jeannette Hernandez. Sheyenne Miller drove Belcher home on a single and Garcia drew walk. The runners advanced on a passed ball before Lauren Peraza drove in Miller with a single.

Peraza and Miller each had 2 hits for Brown Mackie (1-5 district, 5-13 overall).

Brianna Mark, a Topeka freshman, was the hard-luck loser for the Greyhounds (1-5, 3-16). She allowed 5 hits and 3 walks and striking out 3. After that first inning, she allowed only 3 hits and 2 walks.

The Cougars sent Garcia out to pitch the second game and she proved not nearly as effective against batters who were seeing her for the fourth time.

Fort Scott got on the board in the first inning when Donnell drove in Courtney Borland. Another run went up in the second when BryAnna Birk's sacrifice fly scored Megan Feldman.

The Greyhounds made it 3-0 when Birk scored in the fifth after Miller, playing left field for the Cougars, dropped a two-out fly ball.

Brown Mackie tied the score in the top of the sixth when Devin Shaw hit a 3-run homer over the center field fence. Due to an error on a play which could have seen the inning end earlier, none of those runs were earned.

Feldman led off the bottom of the sixth by drawing a walk. She then stole second and moved to third when Allison Cates laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Madison Koch's single to center plated Feldman and Koch moved to second when the center fielder failed to field the ball cleanly. Britney Boyd went in to pinch run for Koch, stole third and scored on Genna Stambaugh's single to center.

Kathleen Tyler, a freshman from Sweet Springs, Mo., allowed 5 hits, no earned runs and 2 walks as she pitched a complete game.

"Both my pitchers did really well," Berglund said. "Neither are my No. 1 pitcher. Cassie Sharon wasn't available because she had to go to a funeral today. But Brianna and Kathleen stepped up and really did a good job in both games."

Garcia allowed 2 earned runs on 9 hits and 2 walks and only struck out 4 in the second game.

Koch, who missed the majority of last season with a foot injury, went 3 for 3 at the plate. Birk, a freshman from Pittsburg, was 2 for 3.

Game One

Fort Scott... 000 000 0 -- 0 1 1

WP -- Garcia. LP -- Mark.

HR -- Brown Mackie: Garcia (3rd inn., none on, one out).

Game Two

Fort Scott... 110 012 x -- 5 9 2

WP -- Tyler. LP -- Garcia.

HR -- Brown Mackie: Devin Shaw (6th inn., two on, two out).