FHSU Sports Information
A no-hitter from Paxton Duran and an extra innings home run from Danie Brinkmann helped the Tiger softball team to a doubleheader sweep over Northeastern State on Friday (March 21). Fort Hays State won the first game, 1-0, in Tahlequah, Okla., before taking Game 2, 3-0, in eight innings.
FHSU (17-10, 7-3 MIAA) had 12 hits over the two games while limiting NSU (20-10, 7-3 MIAA) to just two hits.
The Tigers are back in action Saturday (March 22) in Edmond, Okla., for a doubleheader with Central Oklahoma. First pitch in that contest is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game 1: FHSU 1, NSU 0
Fort Hays State’s Paxton Duran (9-5) pitched her first career no-hitter, striking out seven RiverHawks and allowing just two walks and one hit batter, retiring 20 of the 23 batters she faced in seven complete innings.
Duran’s seven strikeout effort was her fifth straight game with at least five strikeouts, and two less than her career-best mark of nine (achieved earlier in the five-game streak). Additionally, the sophomore didn’t allow a runner past first base.
At the plate, Kellsi Olsen was 2-for-2 with an RBI single and a walk, while Kylie Strand was 1-for-3 with a double. Bianca Adame and Danie Brinkmann had the Tigers’ other two hits.
After issuing a leadoff walk in the second, Duran shut down the RiverHawks’ threat with three straight strikeouts, keeping a close game scoreless until the fifth.
With one out in the fifth, Strand took the first pitch she saw into right field for a double. Later in the inning, with two outs, Olsen took advantage of the runner in scoring position by driving a 2-0 pitch into center for an RBI single, plating Strand and giving the Tigers the lead for good.
In the bottom of the fifth, NSU would get a base runner after Allyson Pogue was hit by a pitch, but a strikeout and a pop out ended the inning.
FHSU came close to adding insurance runs in the top of the seventh as Brinkmann singled with no outs before the Tigers’ loaded the bases with two down, but couldn’t capitalize on the scoring opportunity.
Game 2: FHSU 3, NSU 0 (8 Innings)
A two-out blast from Danie Brinkmann in the eighth inning helped the Tigers to a series sweep with a 3-0 victory in Game 2.
Brinkmann was 1-for-4 with three RBI, while Courtney Dobson was 2-for-4. All told, FHSU had seven hits in the game, with Bianca Adame Amanda Vaupel, Callie Wright and Kellsi Olsen rounding out the offense.
Kelsey Kimminau (7-3) picked up the win, tossing a complete game with five strikeouts and scattering two hits. Kimminau has now struck out at least five batters in four games this season, and allowed just one runner to reach second base.
FHSU came close to scoring in the fifth, as Tori Beltz led off by reaching on an error by Sarharra Henson before moving to second on Olsen’s one-out single to left. Adame drew a walk to load the bases, but the Tigers couldn’t execute as the game remained scoreless.
Tied at 0-0 after the seventh, FHSU and NSU headed to extra innings, where a two-out single from Dobson started the Tigers’ final rally. Vaupel followed with a double to right center, putting runners on second and third for Brinkmann, who drove a pitch over the right center wall to give FHSU a 3-0 lead.