FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State racked up 25 hits on its way to a conference doubleheader sweep of Lincoln on Friday. The Tigers took game one, 11-4, before closing the day with an 8-0 win in six innings.
FHSU (13-12, 6-4 MIAA) ends its eight-game road trip on Saturday (March 21) with a doubleheader at Lindenwood. First pitch from St. Charles, Mo., is set for 1 p.m.
Fort Hays State 11, Lincoln 4
A seven-run fifth inning and 13 hits in the game helped FHSU pull away from Lincoln and pick up an 11-4 win to start its doubleheader.
Paxton Duran (7-4) threw four innings in the win, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out seven. Sarah Cochran threw the final three innings, notching four strikeouts while not allowing a hit to earn the save.
Kylie Strand (2-for-5) and Duran (1-for-3) each had three RBI, with Strand hitting two doubles and Duran picking up her second home run of the week. Tori Beltz had two doubles and two RBI as well, finishing 3-for-5 at the plate.
Rilee Krier and Courtney Dobson also drove in runs, and Amanda Vaupel was 1-for-3 with two walks.
FHSU took a 1-0 lead in the first off Beltz’s RBI double, coming after Strand led off the inning with a double of her own. With one out, Beltz drove Strand home for the first run of the day.
The Tigers extended their lead to 4-0 in the fourth, taking advantage a home run and Lincoln error for three runs. After Vaupel’s one-out walk, Duran hit her second home run of the season over the left field wall to put FHSU up three. With two outs, Veronica Knittig walked and moved to third on Dobson’s single into right, later scoring when Strand reached on an error.
LU answered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases with one out before back-to-back two-out singles and an FHSU error allowed four Blue Tigers to score.
That tie was short lived, however, as six straight Tigers reached base to start the fifth, helping FHSU regain the lead with a seven-run burst. After Beltz’s leadoff double, Samantha Villarreal drew a walk and Vaupel singled to load the bases with no outs. Duran picked up her third RBI of the game in the next at-bat, reaching on a fielder’s choice as Beltz scampered home. Krier followed with a single to score Villarreal and keep the bases juiced, and after an out, Dobson drew a walk (scoring Vaupel) and Strand sent a pitch into left field for a two-RBI double, scoring Duran and Krier and giving the Tigers a 9-4 lead. From there, Dobson came home on a wild pitch during Erin Elmore’s at-bat, and with two outs, Beltz picked up her second hit of the inning – a single up the middle – to plate Strand and push FHSU’s lead to seven (11-4).
Fort Hays State 8, Lincoln 0 (6 innings)
Fort Hays State had 12 hits on its way to an 8-0 win in six innings over Lincoln, closing out the sweep for FHSU. It was the second run-rule victory for FHSU this season.
Kelsey Kimminau (5-6) picked up the win, tossing four shutout innings with two strikeouts and a walk, scattering four hits. Savannah Price threw the final two innings and did not allow a baserunner.
Strand (1-for-3) and Beltz (1-for-4) each had two RBI in the game while Vaupel and Knittig each had two hits, going 2-for-4.
For the second game in a row, FHSU took an early lead in the second. Vaupel led off the inning with a single, promptly stealing second and moving to third on Knittig’s one-bagger into center. Kimminau then came up clutch in her first at-bat of the season, doubling to left field, scoring Vaupel and pushing Knittig to third. Dobson followed with the Tigers’ third single of the inning and picked up an RBI as Knittig scored. Later in the inning (with two outs), Beltz singled up the middle to score Kimminau and Dobson, making it 4-0 early.
Vaupel started things again for the Tigers in the third, singling up the middle before moving to second on a passed ball and third on Knittig’s second single of the day.Rilee Krier’s bunt single pushed Vaupel home and Knittig to second, though a pitching change for the Blue Tigers settled the home team down and kept FHSU limited to just one run.
Up 5-0 headed to the bottom of the second, LU threatened to score with runners on second third and no outs, but Kimminau and the Tiger defense buckled down to keep the home team off the board.
In the sixth, FHSU put the game in run-rule territory with three runs. Dobson started things with a single to lead off the inning before Strand drove a pitch off the scoreboard above the left field wall for a two-run home run, making it 7-0. With the bases empty, Elmore walked and took second as Beltz fouled out, sending Mackenzie Villarreal to the plate, where the freshman doubled to score Elmore and put the Tigers ahead, 8-0.