Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

No. 15 Fort Hays State split its doubleheader with Illinois-Springfield on Friday (Feb. 28), taking Game 1, 4-1, before falling in the second contest, 1-0.
 
FHSU racked up 17 total hits for the day and is now 10-5 on the season.
 
The Tigers will return to action next Wednesday, March 5 in a home doubleheader against Southwestern Oklahoma State.
 
A complete recap of the doubleheader is below…
 
Game 1
 
Fort Hays State's Kelsey Kimminau (4-1) threw a complete game to pick up the win, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out three.
 
At the plate, FHSU's Amanda Vaupel was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Tori Beltz and Courtney Dobson each finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.  Kylie Strand added a double as well.
 
Scoreless until the sixth, FHSU broke open the scoring with four straight infield singles.  Rilee Krier singled to start the inning, then stole second base during Brinkmann's at-bat.  Brinkmann moved Krier to third on a bunt single.  After Kelli Koehler pinch ran for Brinkmann, Beltz followed with a bunt single of her own to drive in Krier and move Koehler to second. 
 
Both runners moved up on a wild pitch during Dobson's at-bat, and after Madison Putman replaced Beltz on the base paths, Dobson laid down the third straight bunt single, scoring Koehler for the RBI.  An overthrow on the play allowed Putman to score as well, giving FHSU a 2-0 lead.  With no outs, Vaupel took a 2-0 pitch into left center for her fourth double of the season, scoring two.
 
UIS answered with one run in the seventh – a home run by Samantha Riss – but that was all for the Prairie Stars.
 
Game 2
 
In the second game of the day, UIS struck early with a run in the first and held FHSU scoreless.  Paxton Duran (5-3) took the loss, throwing 4.0 innings with four strikeouts.  Duran allowed just one run on three hits.  Katlyn Kern threw the final 3.0 innings, giving up just two hits while holding UIS scoreless.
 
Offensively, FHSU managed 10 hits but stranded nine on the basepaths.  Duran went 2-for-2 with a double, while Bianca Adame and Krier finished 2-for-4 at the top of the order. 
 
UIS scored its lone run of the game with three hits in the first, capitalizing on Chelsea Minor's RBI-double with two outs.
 
FHSU came close to striking in the fourth and fifth innings, but couldn't push runs across.
 
With one out in the fourth, Dobson reached on a single and moved to first on Vaupel's walk. Strand reached on a fielder's choice as UIS threw Dobson out at third, and on Duran's single to center, UIS threw Vaupel out at the plate.

FHSU loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but a strikeout ended the threat.