Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box | Season Stats (HTML format)

HAYS, Kan. -- The Pittsburg State softball team (19-19, 7-11 MIAA) used two standout performances, one by a freshman pitcher and one by a senior hitter, to propel them to a doubleheader split with No. 14 Fort Hays State (35-7, 15-3 MIAA) on Saturday (April 13) afternoon.
 
In game one, a 1-0, 10-inning loss, freshman pitcher Kyndel Shelburn pitched the program’s first-ever one-hit extra-inning game. She did not give up her a hit until the ninth inning and that was the only one she gave up. Shelburn’s one-hit performance was the first by a Gorilla pitcher since Melissa Slayden against Northeastern State on Feb. 26, 2010. Shelburn finished the game with 12 strikeouts, her fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season. Her record falls to 6-7 on the season.
 
In game two, a 9-6 win, senior Katelyn Birchfield was key at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four RBI.
 
Game one was a true pitchers duel. The team’s remained scoreless through the regulation seven innings. Shelburn walked five and struck out 10, but did not give up a hit in regulation. Fort Hays State pitcher Maddie Holub, gave up two hits and six walks in regulation, while striking out 11 Pitt State batters.
 
The game came down to the international tiebreaker in the 10th inning. Pitt State was not able to push its runner home in the top of the inning, but Fort Hays State did in the bottom of the 10^th. Amanda Vaupel was placed on second to start the inning. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Paxton Duran and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Tori Beltz, resulting in the 1-0 Gorilla loss.
 
Kayla Sears led the Pitt State offense with a 2-for-3 performance. Riley Campbell, Brenna George and Catie Cummins also each had hits for the Gorillas.
 
In game two, Pitt State started out scoring right away in the top of the first. Brenna George drew a lead off walk. Cummins was safe on a Fort Hays State error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. A Kreslee Ketcham sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Tiffany Brown’s sacrifice fly to left brought home George for a 1-0 lead. Katelyn Birchfield earned an RBI with a base hit to center to score Cummins.
 
The Tigers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning on a two RBI base hit to right by Dannie Brinkmann.
 
The Gorillas had a big inning in the third. Cummins drew a lead off walk and moved to second on a Ketcham sacrifice. Brown singled to right to put runners on first and third. Birchfield got her second RBI of the day with a base hit to center to score Cummins and move Brown to third. McKenzie Rynard laid down a bunt to score Brown. Kayla Sears followed with a base clearing double to put Pitt State up 6-2.
 
Brinkmann added another RBI in the bottom of the third with a base hit to score Holub from second. At that point, Kylie Harpst came in to replace Haleigh Sills in the circle for the Gorillas. With one out, Payton Duran drove a base hit to left to score Madison Putman, who was pinch running for Brinkmann, narrowing the Gorilla lead to just two runs at 6-4.
 
Jordan Jones came in to pitch for Duran in the fourth, but Birchfield added yet another RBI to her game as another base hit to right scored Ketcham to give the Gorillas a 7-4 lift.
 
Fort Hays State brought the game within one in their half of the fourth with two runs on a hit, a walk, a sacrifice fly and two Pitt State errors.
 
Holub replaced Jones in the fifth to attempt to halt the Gorilla bats. She sat the Gorillas down in order in that inning, but Pitt State was able to push two runs across in the sixth. George led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on a Cummins sacrifice. Ketcham knocked a base hit down the left field line, moving George to third. A Brown ground out for the second out of the inning was enough to score George from third and give the Gorillas a two-run lead again. Birchfield got her fourth hit and fourth RBI of the game with a double to score Ketcham for the final 9-6 score.
 
Each team had 10 hits in the game. Pitt State committed three errors, while the Tigers had two.
 
Harpst earned the win in the circle for the Gorillas. Her record improves to 4-3 on the year.  She pitched 5.0 innings, giving up six hits and two runs, none of which were earned. Duran took the loss for the Tigers.
 
Pitt State will play its final regular season road games on Sunday (April 14) at Nebraska-Kearney at Noon and 2 p.m.