TOPEKA, Kan. – Fort Hays State Softball earned a split on Friday (Mar. 26) in its conference doubleheader at Washburn. Jaycee Ginter threw a no-hitter against FHSU, resulting in a 2-0 win for Washburn. Bu Michaelanne Nelson countered with her second-straight two-hit shutout in conference action, striking out 11 and propelling the Tigers to a 4-0 win in game two.
Game 1: Washburn 2, Fort Hays State 0
Jaycee Ginter was nearly perfect against the Tigers in the first game of the day. She faced 22 batters and a walk allowed to Grace Philop in the second was only flaw separating her from a perfect game. The Tigers were able to put the ball in play throughout the game, but they never found any holes as Ginter recorded only two strikeouts in her no-hit effort.
Haley Chapman kept the Tigers in the game by surrendering just two runs in the pitching circle. Ginter helped her own cause in the first inning with an RBI double and Marrit Mead added a sacrifice fly RBI in the fourth inning. Otherwise, Chapman worked around eight hits and three walks to limit the Ichabods to just the pair of runs.
Game 2: Fort Hays State 4, Washburn 0
After throwing a two-hit shutout in her first MIAA game of the season last week at Lincoln, Michaelanne Nelson backed it up with another two-hit shutout in game two of the doubleheader with Washburn. Both of Nelson's two-hit shutouts came in 4-0 wins by the Tigers. Nelson struck out a season-high 11 batters on Friday to help the Tigers gain the split with the Ichabods. Nelson at one point retired 13 straight batters from the first inning through the end of the fifth. She allowed only one walk.
The Tigers finally broke through on offense with a big fourth inning Loren Beggs started the rally with a single and Sara Breckbill followed with a double. Grace Philop knocked in the first run of the game with a single and Kristen Reed followed with a 2-RBI double. Jessica Espinoza drew a walk to force Washburn starter Raegan Hamm from the game as she handed the ball to Ashlie Thissen for the final 3.2 innings. Terran Caldwell knocked in another run with a single, pushing the Tiger lead to four.
That was plenty of offense for Nelson, who worked around her only walk of the game in the sixth by getting a double play ball on the infield. She allowed her second hit with two outs in the seventh before striking out Bri Francis to end the game.
All nine Tigers in the starting lineup reached base. All but Espinoza recorded hits in the game, but she drew FHSU's only walk of the game in the fourth.
The Tigers, now 9-11 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA, return to action on Saturday at Emporia State in another conference doubleheader. Action at the Trusler Sports Complex begins at 12 pm.
FHSU Athletics