FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State held Lindenwood to just three runs while racking up 25 hits for the second consecutive day, sweeping the Lions in a conference doubleheader on Saturday (March 21).  FHSU scored nine runs in the final three innings of game one to win, 11-2, and took the second game, 5-1.

FHSU (15-12, 8-4 MIAA) closed out its spring break road trip at 6-2 with two sweeps, and begins a 10-game homestand next Friday (March 27) in a doubleheader with Northeastern State at Tiger Stadium.

Fort Hays State 11, Lindenwood 2
A 13-hit effort and four Lindenwood errors helped FHSU roll to its third consecutive win and defeat the Lions, 11-2, in the first game of the day.

Paxton Duran (8-5) won her fourth straight game, going the distance with two runs allowed on five hits.  Duran struck out seven and walked two.

Nine Tigers found their way into the hit category, led by multi-hit games from Kylie Strand, Tori Beltz, Amanda Vaupel and Courtney Dobson.  Strand and Duran each had two RBI in the game, with Strand hitting a two-run home run and Duran and Beltz picking up doubles.

FHSU started early with back-to-back one-out singles from Erin Elmore and Tori Beltz in the first, then loaded the bases when Samantha Villarreal was hit by a pitch.  Amanda Vaupel‘s RBI single scored Elmore in the next at-bat, and though FHSU kept the bases loaded, they were limited to just one run.

LWU tied it in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs on three hits – including an RBI double from Hannah Braun.  That tie was short lived, however, as FHSU struck back with three runs of its own in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of a one-out error to score three runs.

Samantha Villarreal led off the inning with a single, and after Gabrielle Sandoval pinch ran for the designated player, a ground out moved Sandoval to second.  Duran followed with a double to plate Sandoval, and after a walk from Veronica Knittig, Mackenzie Villarreal reached on an error in a pinch hit situation, allowing Duran and Knittig to score.

FHSU led, 5-2, at that point and extended its lead with two more runs in the sixth.  After Elmore reached on an error to lead off the inning (moving to third on the play), Beltz’s double brought Elmore home and sent Samantha Villarreal to the plate – who walked.  A single from Vaupel loaded the bases, and with one out, Duran’s fly out to center field was deep enough to score Beltz.

In the seventh, the Tigers added four more runs to reach double figures for the second consecutive game.  Dobson led off the inning with a single and promptly came around to score as Strand belted her third home run of the season (and second in two games), making it 9-2.  From there, Elmore (hit by pitch), Beltz (walk) and Samantha Villarreal (error) all reached safely to load the bases, and back-to-back pinch hit singles from Adara Erickson and Jenna Lang scored Elmore and Beltz for the final runs of the game.

For Lindenwood, Kendall Ryndak took the loss after allowing six runs (one earned) in 4.2 innings pitched while Brooke Miller gave up five runs in the final 2.1 innings thrown.  Alexandra Newcomb was 2-for-3 in the game with a double.

Fort Hays State 5, Lindenwood 1
Fort Hays State never trailed in Saturday’s finale and had 12 hits in a 5-1 victory over Lindenwood to complete the sweep.

Kelsey Kimminau (6-6) won her second consecutive game and reached the .500 mark, throwing six innings with just one run allowed.  Kimminau scattered seven hits and struck out three (walking no one) before Savannah Price threw the final inning, giving up just one hit.

Strand, Samantha Villarreal and Vaupel put together two-hit performances, with six other Tigers recording a hit.  Beltz, Samantha Villarreal and Vaupel had doubles for the games’ only extra-base hits.

With one out in the second, Strand drew a walk before moving to second as Elmore reached safely on an error.  Beltz followed with her team-leading seventh double of the season, scoring Strand and pushing Elmore to third.  After an out, Elmore came home as Vaupel reached on the second error of the inning, making it 2-0 in FHSU’s favor.

The lead reached four in the fifth inning as FHSU strung together four hits to plate two more Tigers.  Elmore led off with a single and moved to third on Samantha Villarreal‘s one-out double.  Vaupel continued the hit parade with a double of her own, scoring Elmore and moving two runners into scoring position.  With two outs, Kimminau drew a walk to load the bases and Mackenzie Villarreal singled home Samantha Villarreal for the game’s fourth run.

LWU got one back in its half of the fifth behind Ryndak’s RBI single, but that was it for the Lions as FHSU struck for one more in the sixth and closed out the win.  After two fielder’s choices left Beltz on first with two outs, Samantha Villarreal and Vaupel strung together two straight singles to move Beltz home.

Morgan Colvis took the loss for the Lions, throwing 4.1 innings with four runs allowed (three earned) and three strikeouts.  Maria Tippett finished 3-for-3 in the game and Brooklyn Sisk was 2-for-3.

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.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State baseball fell by a score of 4-2 in the four-game series opener on Friday at Northwest Missouri State. The Tigers got all of their offense off two solo homers, but a three-run blast by NWMSU in the sixth was the difference in the game.

FHSU led off the game with a home run by Connor Ross, but NWMSU starting pitcher Anthony Caenepeel settled in from there by striking out 12 Tigers in eight strong innings of work. He allowed only three hits to the Tigers, two on homers. Alex King had the other home run for FHSU in the top of the eighth.

Gabe Cook pitched 6.0 innings in his start for the Tigers, allowing four runs on seven hits and six walks. He struck out five. He allowed a two-out RBI double in the fourth, which tied the game 1-1 at the time, but gave up the three-run homer with two outs in the sixth. Austin Wulff was Cook’s nemesis for the day as he recorded all four RBI for NWMSU with the two run-scoring hits.

Kyle Vogt pitched the final two innings in relief for FHSU, retiring the side in order in both the seventh and eighth.

Carson Smith entered in the ninth to pick up his sixth save of the year for NWMSU, retiring the Tigers in order.

FHSU (3-15, 3-10 MIAA) faces NWMSU (10-11, 7-6 MIAA) in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 pm.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State baseball dropped a single nine-inning non-conference game at Southwestern Oklahoma State on Wednesday by a score of 7-6. The Tigers held a 5-3 lead through six innings, but saw the lead change hands on a two-out three run homer. FHSU scored one in the eighth, coming up just short and moving to 3-14 overall on the year.

Fort Hays State tied the game in the second 1-1, capitalizing on an error in the inning, and then took the lead 3-1 in the third with a RBI double from Kevin Czarnecki and RBI single from Gus Strunk.

The lead grew to 5-1 in the fifth with a sacrifice fly by Alex King, and then a RBI single by Casey Sedbrook. However, the Bulldogs instantly got both runs back in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-3.

A fielding error in the seventh led to the big four-run inning for the Bulldogs. The error came after a leadoff walk, then a bunt single loaded the bases with no outs. After Strunk entered in relief on the mound, he struck out a batter before giving up a sacrifice fly to make it 5-4 and then the three-run home run to give SWOSU the 7-5 lead.

Austin Unrein had a RBI groundout in the eighth to pull the Tigers within one, but a runner was stranded at third. In the ninth, FHSU got runners at first and second with one out, but Kent Callison got a foul out and a fly out to end the game, earning his first save of the year for SWOSU. Taylor Weifenbach picked up the win in relief for SWOSU, as he inherited the lead in the seventh before getting lifted before the start of the eighth.

FHSU starter Alex Sox lasted 3.0 innings, allowing just a run on two hits. He struck out one. Steven Federau allowed two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of work and Giles Fox allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks in 1.2 innings of work. Fox struck out two. Strunk took the loss, moving to 0-2 on the year. He allowed two runs on two hits, but struck out four.

The Tigers return to action on Friday at Northwest Missouri State for the the start of a four-game conference series.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State split its doubleheader at Colorado Mines on Wednesday in Golden, Colo.  The Tigers took the first game, 4-1, before dropping a 2-1 contest in extra innings.

The Tigers (11-12) continue their road trip this weekend with conference doubleheaders at Lincoln Friday and Lindenwood Saturday.

Fort Hays State 4, Colorado Mines 1
Fort Hays State used a four-run rally in the sixth and a near-perfect game from Paxton Duran to pick up a win in the first game of its doubleheader with Colorado Mines, 4-1.

Duran (6-5) gave up just one hit in the win, taking a no-hitter into the final inning.  Duran finished with six strikeouts and one walk in the complete game performance – her sixth of the season.

Tori Beltz was 2-for-3 in the game with a two-run home run, while Amanda Vaupel led the team with three hits on the afternoon.  Erin Elmore (2-for-4), Duran (1-for-3) and Samantha Villarreal (1-for-3) had doubles for the Tigers.

In the top of the sixth, Elmore led off the inning with a double down the left field line for the Tigers prior to Gabrielle Sandoval entering as a pinch runner.  From there, Beltz took a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence to give FHSU a 2-0 lead on her sixth home run of the year.

The Tigers continued to push with three straight hits from Villarreal (double), Vaupel (single) and Duran (RBI double), taking a 3-0 lead with no outs.  With one out in the inning, Mackenzie Villarreal pinch hit and came through in the clutch, singling through the left side to score Vaupel and give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

FHSU loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh behind singles from Elmore and Vaupel, but after Duran was hit by a pitch the Tigers couldn’t extend the lead and went into the final frame up four.

Duran saw her no-hitter broken up with a leadoff single in the seventh, but after a sacrifice fly from the Orediggers cut the Tigers’ lead to three (4-1) with two outs, the Tigers sealed the win with a fly out to left.

Colorado Mines 2, Fort Hays State 1 (11 innings)
Game two of the doubleheader went into the 11th inning before Colorado Mines scored to defeat the Tigers, 2-1, and split the series.

Kelsey Kimminau started the game and through 8.1 innings, scattering four hits with one earned run allowed on six strikeouts.  Sarah Cochran (1-1) was tagged with the loss after throwing 2.0 innings and giving up a run in the 11th.  Cochran had one strikeout and did not allow a walk.

At the plate, Courtney Dobson was 3-for-4 on the day while Rilee Krier finished with two hits.

FHSU broke through to score in the fifth on a two-out walk.  After a fielder’s choice from Mackenzie Villarreal in a pinch hit situation, Madison Putman re-entered at first before moving to second on Dobson’s single into center field.  A fielder’s choice put Putman on third and Kylie Strand on first before Elmore was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Tigers took the lead as Beltz drew a full-count walk for an RBI, bringing Putman home with two outs.

CSM answered in its half of the fifth, however, loading the bases before Rebecca Fallon came home to score on a fielding error.  Kimminau limited the damage though with a strikeout and groundout to get out of the jam.

The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the ninth after Dobson’s two-out double moved Veronica Knittig to third but FHSU couldn’t plate the go-ahead run.  In the home half of the night, Fallon tripled with one out to force Kimminau from the circle, making way for Cochran, who got a line drive out and a ground out to keep the Orediggers at bay.

With the international tie-breaker in effect for the 10th, Colorado Mines saw Brielle Asato start on second before moving to third on Paige Noehring’s single up the middle, but three straight outs from the Tigers kept the score intact and forced another inning of play.

In the top of the 11th, Vaupel moved Sandoval to third on a sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning but the Tigers could not score and looked to remain tied in the bottom half.  The Orediggers, however, took advantage of a passed ball to move Hallie Smith to third before Pua Fujinaga’s sacrifice fly to center scored Smith for the game-winner.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State hosted its first tournament of the spring season in Arizona, the FHSU Spring Thaw, at Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa. The Tigers finished ninth out of 12 teams that competed in the tournament.

FHSU finished with a team score of 736. Minnesota State won the tournament with 313 each day for a total of 626. The Mavericks won by 14 strokes over Lindenwood and topped Western New Mexico by 23 strokes.

Samantha Hobson led FHSU with rounds of 89 and 84 to finish in a tie for 34th. Quillen Eichhorn led FHSU on the first day with an 88, but followed with a 92 to finish in a tie for 47th. Abby Schmidtberger had a rough first round of 103, but improved 17 strokes on the second day with an 86 to finish in 56th. MeganDeWerff tied for 58th, shooting two rounds of 97. Sage Alquist competed and shot rounds of 98 and 97, along with Hadley Tharp, who shot rounds of 104 and 103.

Kanyapak Sethasomponbe from Minnesota State won the tournament as an individual, shooting two rounds of 75 (6-over par total).

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State split its midweek doubleheader with Metro State on Tuesday, taking the first game in extra innings, 3-0, before falling in the finale, 6-0. The Tigers (10-11, 4-4 MIAA) remain in the Denver area on Wednesday (March 18) for a doubleheader with Colorado Mines in Golden, Colo. The first game is set to begin at Noon MT.

Fort Hays State 3, Metro State 0 (8 innings)
Paxton Duran threw a complete game shutout and hit the game winning three-run home run in extras to help Fort Hays State pick up a win in extra innings over Metro State.

Duran (5-5) threw all eight innings for the win, scattering six hits and walking five runners while striking out nine. She also was 1-for-4 at the plate with her first home run of the season.

Erin Elmore and Samantha Villarreal were each 2-for-4 on the day, with Villarreal and Amanda Vaupel (1-for-3) hitting doubles.

The Tigers looked to strike in the top of the second behind Vaupel’s leadoff double, but after moving her to third with two outs, FHSU couldn’t push the senior home and the game remained scoreless.

Metro State matched the Tigers’ threats in its half of the second, moving Kaylynn Harmon to third with two outs before Duran got her third strikeout of the inning to retire the side.

FHSU put runners in scoring position with two outs in the fourth but again were held off the scoreboard, keeping the score intact.

Courtney Dobson  looked to get things going for FHSU in the fifth with a leadoff single, but could only find her way to second after three quick outs followed.

The Tigers again threated in the sixth with a leadoff single from Villarreal , but nothing happened over the final two offensive opportunities for the Tigers.

Scoreless through seven, FSHU and MSU headed to extras where Elmore led off the top half of the eighth with a single – moving to second on a throwing error. After Adara Erickson pinch ran for Elmore, Erickson was thrown out at third trying to advance on Tori Beltz’s single into center field, but the Tigers weren’t done. Next up, Villarreal doubled down the left field line to push Beltz to third, putting both runners in scoring position

With two outs in the inning, Duran helped her own cause by driving a 1-0 pitch over the left center wall for a three-run blast, scoring Beltz and Villarreal and helping the Tigers take a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth.

MSU saw two runners reach base in the eighth behind a single and fielder’s choice (though neither runner moved past first), but a line out and a strikeout from Duran – her ninth of the day – ended the game.

Metro State 6, Fort Hays State 0
Fort Hays State was no-hit in the finale on Saturday, failing to put a baserunner on until the seventh inning in a 6-0 loss.

Kelsey Kimminau (4-6) started the game and through four innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts. Sarah Cochran tossed the final two innings with one hit allowed.

MSU took a 1-0 lead in the second as Chelsea Brew doubled with two outs before coming around to score on an FHSU error.

The Roadrunners extended their lead in the third, using RBI singles from Carissa Terry and Sarena Espinoza and Brew to take a 5-0 lead.

In the fifth, Metro State furthered the lead to 6-0 after an RBI triple from Terry, but that was it for the Roadrunners as FHSU regrouped and shut down the home team over the final two innings.

Offensively, FHSU’s only baserunner was Kylie Strand in the seventh after she drew a leadoff walk, eventually moving to second on Erin Elmore’s groundout.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State baseball fell by a score of 8-5 on Sunday (Mar. 15) in the finale of a four-game series against Missouri Southern at Larks Park in Hays. The Tigers had a 4-3 lead through five innings, but could not hold on as they fell to 3-13 overall and 3-9 in the MIAA. Missouri Southern improved to 15-1 overall and 8-0 in the MIAA.

Missouri Southern took the lead early with three runs in the first, but FHSU countered with two in the first and two in the second to take a 4-3 lead. Kevin Czarnecki had a two-RBI single in the first and Alex King put FHSU in front in the second with a two-run homer.

After a tough first inning, FHSU starting pitcher Chase Newman settled in to hold the Lions scoreless over the next four innings. He got two outs in the sixth before giving up a solo homer to Axel Johnson, which tied the game 4-4. Newman did not get a decision throwing 5.2 innings with just five hits and a walk allowed, but he struck out six.

Gus Struck relieved Newman and got the final out of the sixth and pitched a scoreless seventh. He finally ran into trouble in the eighth after retiring the first batter. He gave up five straight hits, which led to four runs in the inning for MSSU. He struck out three in his appearance, but was handed his first loss of the season as the four-run margin was too much for FHSU to overcome in the final two innings.

Andre Vieyra hit a home run in the eighth to cut the MSSU lead to 8-5, but that was all the Tigers would get. MSSU starter Cody Hutchinson went the distance, pitching all nine innings for a complete game win. He allowed eight hits and two walks, but struck out 10, throwing 137 pitches.

The Tigers head on the road next week with a game at Southwestern Oklahoma State on Wednesday (Mar. 18) before heading to Northwest Missouri State for a four-game conference series Friday through Sunday (Mar. 20-22).

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

After being held to 21 points in a physical first half, the sixth-ranked Fort Hays State Lady Tigers explode for 41 in the second half to beat No. 19 Wayne State (Neb.) in the second-round of the NCAA II Central Regional Saturday night at Gross Coliseum. FHSU improves to 30-3 and advances to the regional finals Monday where they will take on Emporia State who knocked of Pittsburg State 65-54 in overtime.

FHSU Postgame Press Conference

Game Highlights

Fort Hays State used a 14-0 run spanning the first and second halves to build a 14-point lead. After Wayne State  pulled within six with 13:26 to play, Chelsea Mason hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to nine. Jill Faxon and Beth Bohuslavsky also hit key 3-pointers in the second half to hold off Wildcat runs.

The FHSU defense played well all night, holding WSC to 33-percent shooting including 2-of-16 from beyond the arc. The Lady Tigers shot 56-percent in the second half including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Kate Lehman led Fort Hays State with a game-high 23 points. Chelsea Mason added 13 and Beth Bohuslavsky 12. Paige Lunsford scored five and grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists.

FHSU sophomore point guard Nicola Kacperska injured her left trying to steal an inbounds pass in the first half. Kacperska tried to come back in the first half but was unable to play.

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

FHSU Athletics

Trey Page earned All-American status with a third place finish at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships on Saturday (March 14).  Page closed out his FHSU career with a 13-2 major decision in the 285 pound consolation finals and finished the year 46-3.
The Wichita, Kan., native went 2-0 on the first day of the national tournament to reach the semifinals.  Page picked up a 15-0 technical fall against Pittsburg-Johnstown’s Damon Sims and a 4-0 decision against Chris Giddens (UNC Pembroke).

In the semis, Page ran into top-ranked heavyweight and defending national champion Ziad Haddad.  Page trailed Haddad, 4-1, after the first period and scored an early escape in the second to cut the deficit to two (4-2).  Late in the match, Page looked for a match-tying takedown by was countered by Haddad, eventually losing 6-2.

Page reached the third-place match with a 10-4 decision over Andy Welton of Mercyhurst, jumping out to an 8-3 lead in the first two periods.  From there, Page added a takedown and gave up an escape in the third, hanging on to advance to the consolation finals.

Page started in a flurry against Garrett Grey (Tiffin) in the third place match, jumping out to a 9-0 lead in the first period.  Page had a take down and seven near-fall points (one five-count) in the first minute of the match, racking up over two minutes of riding time in the first.  After choosing top in the second, Page was hurt by a switch and Grey awarded the reversal.  After an escape late in the period, Page held a 10-2 advantage entering the third, where both wrestlers started on their feet. Late in the match, Page countered a desperation takedown attempt for another two points, earning a point of riding time and securing the major decision.

Page is the ninth All-American coached by Chas Thompson and the 35th All-American in FHSU’s NCAA history.  Overall, the program has had 74 All-Americans in its time in the NAIA and NCAA, including Page.

By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

No. 6 The Fort Hays State overcame a slow start to rally past Minnesota State 74-57 Friday night at Gross Coliseum for their first ever NCAA II tournament win, advancing to Saturday’s semifinals. The Lady Tigers improve to 29-3 while the Mavericks end their season with a 21-10 mark. FHSU will face Wayne State (Neb.) at 7:30pm Saturday. The Wildcats score the final seven points in an 87-80 win over Harding (Ark.). Pittsburg State and Emporia State meet in the first semifinal at 5pm.

FHSU Postgame Press Conference

 

Game Highlights

 

 

 

The Lady Tigers hit just one of their first 11 shots and fell behind by 13, but a 7-0 run to close the half pulled them within two at the break. A steal and layup by Nikola Kacperska pulled FHSU within one at 39-38. Jill Faxon hit a top of the key 3-pointers to give the Lady Tigers their first lead of the game with 14:04 to play. The 12-0 run put FHSU up six. A 10-2 run later in the half pushed the lead to double-figures.

Chelsea Mason led Fort Hays State with 21 points on 8-of-21 shooting including 4-for-14 from 3-point range. Kate Lehman, who shot only once and didn’t score in the first half, finished with 12 and eight rebounds. Minnesota State was led by Jamie Bresnahan who tallied 12.

The Tigers shoot 53-percent in the second half and finish 40-percent for the game. FHSU outrebounded the Mavericks by eight and scored 18 points off 17 MSU turnovers.