Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Fort Hays State Softball racked up 17 hits en route to a conference doubleheader sweep over Lincoln on Saturday (March 29).  FHSU took Game 1 at Tiger Stadium, 3-2, before cruising to a 7-0 win in the second contest of the day.
 
FHSU improved to 21-12 (10-4 MIAA) this season while Lincoln remained winless in conference play (0-12 MIAA) and 3-22 overall.
 
The Tigers host Lindenwood in a home doubleheader Sunday (March 30) to close out a six-game homestand.  First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m., with head coach Erin Kinberger going for career win No. 100.  Kinberger has a career record of 99-43 in just her third season.
 
Game 1
FHSU 3, LU 2
 
FHSU closed out a back-and-forth game with a walk-off single from Paxton Duran for the 3-2 victory over Lincoln in Game 1.
 
Duran (11-5) threw her fourth consecutive complete game, striking out eight while allowing just two hits and two runs.  The lone two hits came on solo home runs by Lincoln's Erin Sommerer, both of which were game tying.
 
Samantha Villarreal started the scoring for FHSU, taking a 2-2 pitch on a line over the center field fence for her second home run of the season.  Villarreal finished 2-for-3 on the day, matching Bianca Adame, who added an RBI triple and two stolen bases.
 
After Sommerer's solo shot tied the game in the third, FHSU regained the lead in the fifth.  Kellsi Olsen led off the inning with a walk before taking second on Amanda Vaupel's sacrifice bunt.  With one out, Adame tripled on a 1-0 pitch to left center for the RBI.
 
Sommerer again answered for LU in the next half inning, tying the game for the second time on the first pitch of the sixth.
 
Looking for its seventh inning victory of the week, FHSU led off the seventh with Olsen's second walk of the day.  Vaupel sacrifice bunted for the second time as well, putting Olsen on second with one out.  Later in the inning, with two outs, Duran worked a full count before driving a single to right, scoring Olsen and clinching the win.
 
Game 2
FHSU 7, LU 0
 
Fort Hays State had three multi-run innings and picked up 11 hits while picking up the 7-0 victory in Game 2.
 
Kelsey Kimminau (8-5) threw all seven innings in shutout fashion, scattering five hits and striking out six Blue Tigers.
 
Offensively, Jenna Lang was 2-for-3 with double and a walk, while Kellsi Olsen finished 2-for-3 with a double.  Callie Wright (2-for-3) and Courtney Dobson (2-for-4) each had an RBI as well.
 
With one out in the second, Lang and Samantha Villarreal worked two straight walks before Olsen doubled down the left field line to score Lang and push Villarreal to third.   Wright followed after with an RBI single to center field, plating Villarreal. 
 
FHSU extended its lead in the third, using two hits and a wild pitch to take a 3-0 lead.  Dobson singled with one out and took second on a two-out wild pitch before Lang's double to right center scored her. 
 
In the fifth, another two runs were added to the board as the Tigers used Adame's speed to pressure the Blue Tiger defense early in the inning.  Adame singled to shortstop to lead off the inning, and with one out stole second.  Dobson's RBI single scored Adame, and after Lang singled up the middle, and error on LU's Kassidey Borland allowed both runners to move up a base.  Villarreal walked to load the bases, and a passed ball during Olsen's at-bat allowed Dobson to scamper home.
 
The Tigers closed out scoring in the sixth with two runs on three hits, taking advantage of another LU error.  Wright led off the inning with a single up the middle before Madison Putman replaced her as pinch runner.  With two outs, Duran singled to right center to put runners on the corners.  After Rilee Krier pinch ran for Duran, a stolen base by Krier had both runners in scoring position.  Dobson's ground ball skipped off LU third baseman Shantae Duren's glove, allowing Putman and Krier to score.