Tiger softball sweeps Frontenac; 4A-II champs roll on Monday

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Fort Scott High School’s softball team has lost five games this season. Each of those losses have come against a team that is a defending league or State (or both) champion.

The Tigers (14-5) have been defeated by two-time defending Class 4A-Division I State champion Spring Hill, swept by defending Southeast Kansas League champ Independence and, on Monday at Don Hewett Field, swept by defending Class 4A-Division II State champ Girard. All five losses have come at home.

Girard (18-0) was too much for the Tigers Monday night, sweeping a non-league doubleheader by scores of 15-5 and 16-7. The Trojans, who had already clinched the CNC League title, won their 31st and 32nd consecutive games and have outscored their opponents by an average of 12 to 2 over that stretch.

Fort Scott held a 3-0 lead after one inning of the opener. But eight errors contributed to Girard’s 15-2 advantage from the third inning on. The Trojans tied the score in the top of the third. Although the Tigers reclaimed the lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth, Girard went ahead for goot with 6 in the top of the sixth and added three more in the seventh for good measure.

Lane Bohlken and Kenady Poyner were each 3 for 4 at the plate for the Tigers. Mia Bryant went 2 for 4 and drove in 2 runs.

Shelby Smith allowed 3 earned runs on 12 hits and 2 walks for Girard while striking out 7. Alexis Jenkins was 3 for 5 for the Trojans while Shaylun Grosstephan, Mikayla Ausemus and Maleah Sandy had 2 hits each. Grosstephan and Sandy also drove in 4 runs each.

Girard got nine consecutive batters on base with one out in the top of the first inning of game two and they all scored.

Though, as in the first game, the Tigers’ bats were not completely quiet, they couldn’t keep up with Girard, which led 11-4 after two and 14-5 after five.

Bohlken and Addy Williams had 3 hits each for the Tigers. Bohlken also had 3 runs batted in. Sami Bradbury had 2 hits and 2 RBI. Bryant and Montana LaRoche had 2 hits each.

Grosstephan allowed 5 earned runs on 15 hits and a walk with one strikeout while also going 2 for 3 at the plate. Smith, Jacey Murphy and Marci Heatherly had 3 hits each with Heatherly driving home 4 runs.

Friday, Fort Scott swept Girard’s CNC rival, Frontenac, on the road by scores of 5-1 and 4-1.

Bohlken allowed 1 run on 5 hits in the opener and didn’t walk anyone. Bryant was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI while Aubrey Ard was 2 for 4 and Lexi Milburn drove in 2 runs.

In game two, Bryant allowed 7 hits and a walk while also going 2 for 4 with 3 RBI. Milburn was 2 for 3.

Fort Scott concludes regular-season play with a single Southeast Kansas League game versus Chanute at 4:30 Thursday at Don Hewett Field.

Some information about Girard provided by Sports In Kansas.


Friday’s Games

Game One

Fort Scott.................. 000 220 0 — 4 9 2

Frontenac................. 000 100 0 — 1 5 2

WP — Bohlken (8-1). LP — Davis.

HR — None.

Game Two

Fort Scott.................. 000 221 0 — 5 8 1

Frontenac................. 100 000 0 — 1 7 3

WP — Bryant (4-1). LP — Davis.

HR — None.

Monday’s Games

Game One

Girard........................ 003 306 3 — 15 15 1

Fort Scott.................. 300 110 0 — 5 12 8

WP — Smith. LP — Bohlken (8-2).

HR — None.

Game Two

Girard........................ 920 120 2 — 16 15 3

Fort Scott.................. 130 101 1 — 7 15 3

WP — Grosstephan. LP — Milburn (2-2).

HR — None.