Hardenburger struck out 30 batters in a 17-inning quarterfinal victory May 23 against Clearwater while throwing 195 pitches. She allowed just four hits on the day and the game was
scoreless until the 14th inning when each squad scored a run. Wamego won on a walk-off in the 17th inning just before 7 p.m.
Alicia Hollowell of
Fairfield (Calif.) owns the national record for strikeouts in a game, sitting down an incredible 61 batters over 30 innings in 2001.
Committed to Tennessee, Hardenburger tossed two no-hitters a day later in leading Wamego to the Class 4A state championship.
In the semifinal game at 1 p.m. against Eudora, Hardenburger struck out 16 batters in a 2-0 win to advance.
She was in the circle again at 5 p.m. for the state final against Andale, taking a perfect game into the seventh before allowing a walk with one out. Two outs later, the Red Raiders were champions and Hardenburger finished the game with a 17-strikeout no-hitter.
In the three postseason games Hardenburger had a 0.23 earned run average. She pitched all 31 innings with 63 strikeouts.
This is nothing new for Hardenburger, who was named the MaxPreps Player of the Year for Kansas. Last season she also threw two no-hitters on the final day of the state tournament as a sophomore to capture the state crown.
