Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Fort Hays State Softball went 1-1 on the first day of the MIAA Softball Championships, picking up a comeback victory over Central Missouri, 6-5, before falling to Northeastern State, 7-4, in the second round.
 
FHSU (29-19) will play Lindenwood in the second consolation round on Friday (May 3) at 11 a.m.
 
FHSU 6, UCM 5
Paxton Duran (17-8) threw all seven innings, striking out a career-high 13 batters and allowing just one walk, allowing five runs on nine hits.
 
At the plate, Amanda Vaupel (3-for-4) and Kellsi Olsen (2-for-4) each drove in three runs and had a home run and a double.
 
UCM jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, taking advantage of a one-out walk before Jakki Prater homered to left center.
 
After a scoreless second, the Tigers cut the lead in half with a leadoff home run by Olsen to start the third.  Olsen took a 2-2 pitch to straight away center to bring FHSU within one, down 2-1.
 
In the fourth, Vaupel singled with one out before taking second on Callie Wright's single to left, setting the stage for Olsen to come up with her third RBI of the game.  Olsen worked a full count before driving a double to right center, plating Vaupel and tying the game.
 
UCM regained the lead (4-2) in the fifth, using a two-run home run from Lindsey Dawson before then extending it further, to 5-2, in the sixth.
 
In its half of the sixth, Fort Hays State's Kylie Strand singled to first to start the inning before Vaupel took the first pitch she saw on a line over the left center fence for a two-run blast, climbing back to within one (5-4).
 
Down to their final chance in the seventh, the Tigers' Courtney Dobson led off the inning with a solo home run to left center, tying the game at 5-all and forcing a pitching change for the Jennies.  Danie Brinkmann and Samantha Villarreal drew back-to-back walks, and after two straight outs for the Tigers, Vaupel picked up her third RBI of the game on walk-off double down the left field line, scoring Brinkmann and sending the Tigers into the second round.
 
NSU 7, FHSU 4
Kelsey Kimminau (10-8) took the loss, throwing 4.1 innings and giving up six runs (five earned) on nine hits and striking out one.  Paxton Duran threw the final 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.
 
Bianca Adame and Amanda Vaupel were each 2-for-3 with an RBI in the game, while Samantha Villarreal went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Danie Brinkmann was 1-for-4 with a run driven in.  Vaupel, Villarreal and Brinkmann had doubles.
 
NSU took a 3-0 lead in the first, putting the Tigers down early for the second straight game.  After two singles to start the game, NSU's Alyssa Aguilar homered for a quick lead.
FHSU answered with a run of its own in the first.  Adame led off the inning with an infield single before stealing second and taking third on Courtney Dobson's groundout. 
 
The Tigers climbed back to tie the game in the second, started by Vaupel's one-out double to right center before walks from Callie Wright and Kellsi Olsen loaded the bases.  Adame's sacrifice fly to right was deep enough to score Vaupel, and Wright and Olsen advanced on the throw to the plate.  With two outs, Dobson's single through the left side scored Wright, tying the game, 3-3.
 
In the third, Fort Hays State scored in its third straight inning to take the lead for the first time in the game.  Villarreal led off the inning with a single to right, and after Madison Putman pinch ran for Villarreal, Rilee Krier's bunt single put runners on second and third with no outs.  After a fielder's choice for Kylie Strand, Vaupel singled with one out to left center to score Krier.
 
That was it for the Tigers, however, as NSU tied the game in the fourth and added three runs on three hits in the fifth to regain control for good, taking the game, 7-4.