Washburn Lady Blues Weekly Notes | WU Live Stats | Live Stats at Emporia State | Live stats at Missouri Western

Warm ups . . .
The Washburn Lady Blues will look to keep their five-game winning streak alive as they will face Ottawa in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday in Topeka before facing Emporia State on Friday and Missouri Western on Saturday in MIAA play on the road. The Lady Blues were 4-0 last week after sweeping Lindenwood and Lincoln. After facing the Griffons on Saturday, Washburn returns home to face Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma in a pair of non-conference twinbills.

Last week's action . . .
March 24 at Lindewood
ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- The Washburn Lady Blues picked up a non-conference sweep taking a pair of games at future MIAA foe Lindenwood winning game one 10-9 in nine innings while leaving town with a 5-2 victory in the nightcap.
In the first game, the Lions scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the score at nine. Neither team scored in the seventh or eighth inning. Washburn scored the winning run when Kacy Covert doubled and later scored on a single by Katie Schroeder. Cori Munoz (1-2) pitched a shutout ninth for the win. Schroeder drove in five runs collecting three hits and Covert had three hits as well. Lindsey Moore, Kristen Bell and Haley Heincker all had two hits.
Washburn took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on an RBI single by Kristen Bell scoring Alex Zordel who was hit by a pitch. The Lady Blues added another in the sixth inning with a lead off home run by Shelby Erickson to put Washburn up 1-0. The Lions tied the score with a solo run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lady Blues scored three in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach. Kacy Covert, Katie Schroeder and Lindsey Moore had back to back to back singles to start the seventh. A sac fly by Alex Zordel put added to the Lady Blues' lead and Britny Cushing drove in a run with a ground out to second. Kayla Oldham (4-7) picked up the complete game win allowing two earned runs.

March 25 vs Lincoln
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Washburn Lady Blues won their fourth and fifth straight games picking up an MIAA sweep over Lincoln improving to 11-13 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
Washburn picked up an 11-2 win in the opener exploding for five runs in the first two innings while adding a four-spot in the fourth inning while pounding out a season-high 19 hits against the Blue Tigers. Washburn scored two in the first on RBI singles by Shelby Erickson and on an error by Lincoln. Washburn added three in the second inning on four hits with the big hit coming from Alex Zordel on a 3-run homer. After going scoreless in the third inning, Washburn scored four in the fourth with an RBI single by Haley Heincker. Kacy Covert drove in one on a ground out and then Katie Schroeder drove in a run with a single to right. Washburn added one more with a single to left by Lindsey Moore. Washburn finished the scoring in the seventh with RBI doubles by Zordel and Britny Cushing.  Moore picked up the win (5-4) scattering seven hits while helping her own cause going 2 for 5 with two runs scored and a RBI. Zordel finished with four RBI while scoring three runs. Kristen Bell was 4 for 5 with one run scored.
In the second game, Washburn took advantage of a Blue Tiger throwing error in the top of the seventh. After Covert singled to left, she moved to third and scored on a throwing error by Lincoln for the only run of the game. Washburn stranded 10 runners in the game and Kayla Oldham (5-7) in the shutout win striking out three allowing six hits. Moore finished with three hits to lead the Lady Blues.

Upcoming opponents. . .
Ottawa -  The Braves are 11-14 entering a pair of games with Southwest Baptist on March 27 prior to coming to Topeka the following day.  Myah Sprew leads the Braves with a .436 batting average collecting 34 hits and 25 RBI - all team-highs. Sprew is the daughter of former Ichabod basketball player Calvin Sprew.
Emporia State -  The Hornets are coming off a sweep over Missouri Western entering the games with Washburn with a 19-7 record and a perfect 10-0 MIAA mark. As a team the Hornets are batting .321 and they are led by Stephanie Goodwin's .435 batting average. In the circle Jennifer Heerey is 6-3 with a 2.75 ERA and Karley Schmilzer is 8-2 with a 2.89 ERA. The Hornets have won the last 25 games. Washburn's last win over ESU was on April 20, 2005 in a 4-3 win.
Missouri Western -  The Griffons are 25-6 and 8-2 in the MIAA after they were swept by the Hornets last weekend. MWSU will host Fort Hays State on Friday prior to facing the Lady Blues on Saturday. The loss to the Hornets snapped an 11-game winning streak by the Griffons. Maegan Roemmich leads the team with a .392 batting average. Jackie Bishop with 13-2 in the circle with a 1.38 ERA. She has 136 strikeouts to 19 walks so far this season.

Lady Blues player notes. . .
#1  • Britny Cushing  • UT • R/R • 5-4 • Sr.  • Topeka, Kan. • Seaman   
Needs one more hit for 100 for her Washburn career.

#3  • Kristen Bell  • C • R/R • 5-8 • Fr.  • Lawrence, Kan. • Lawrence
Had a career-high four hits against Lincoln last timeout.
 
#4  • Katie Schroeder  • 2B • L/R • 5-2 • So.  • Osage City, Kan. • Osage City
Drove in a career-high five against Lindenwood last week.

#6  • Erin Macaronas  • IF • R/R • 5-5 • Jr.  • Coffeyville, Kan. • Field Kindley • Coffeyville CC
Had a hit and a run last week in two games.

#7  • Kacy Covert  • OF • L/R • 5-5 • Sr.  • Topeka, Kan. • Shawnee Heights • Butler County CC
Leads the team with a .403 batting average raising it 45 points last week.

#8  • Kayla Oldham  • P • R/R • 5-5 • Fr.  • Derby, Kan. • Derby
Was 2-0 last week with a pair of complete game wins.

#9  • Haley Heincker  • 2B/OF • R/R • 5-2 • Jr.  • Derby, Kan. • Derby  • Cowley County
Scored three runs last week while collecting three hits and an RBI.

#10  • Cori Munoz  • P/3B • R/R • 5-3 • Fr.  • Topeka, Kan. • Seaman  
Made one appearance last week in the circle.

#13  • Lindsey Moore  • IF/P • R/R • 5-7 • Sr.  • Edmond, Okla. • Edmond Memorial  
Her six at bats against Lindenwood tied a Washburn record … batting .337 this season with 28 hits, one shy of last season total.

#14  • Mallorie Monhollon  • UT • B/R • 5-8 • Fr.  • Topeka, Kan. • Shawnee Heights   
Tied for third on the team with 11 RBI.

#15  • Leah Garland  • 1B/3B • R/R • 5-6 • Fr.  • Osage City, Kan. • Osage City
Played in second game at Lindenwood recording two at bats.

#17  • Paige Hightower  • 1B/C • R/R • 6-1 • So.  • Chickasha, Okla. • Chickasha
Played in one game at Lindenwood last weekend.

#22  • Shelby Erickson  • SS • R/R • 5-6 • So.  • Perry, Kan. • Perry-Lecompton  
Hit her second career home run against Lindenwood last weekend.

#23  • Alex Zordel  • 1B • R/R • 5-7 • Jr.  • Baldwin City, Kan. • Baldwin   
Drove in a season-high four against Lincoln in the first game of the Lady Blues' win over the Blue Tigers.

In the dugout . . .
Vanessa Becerra was named the Washburn Lady Blues head softball coach on Aug. 3, 2011 after spending four seasons at Metro State in Denver, Colo., with the final season coming as the head coach. At Washburn she is 11-13 and overall Becerra has recorded a 45-31 mark in her second year as a head coach.
In her lone season as the head coach at Metro State, Becerra led the Roadrunners the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championship while advancing to the NCAA regional tournament for the third straight season.

Blue Notes. . .
Lindsey Moore and Katie Schroeder tied a school record with their six at bats against Lindenwood - a record which has been duplicated 17 other times … Washburn's five-game winning streak is the longest for the Lady Blues since winning 12 in a row between March 11, 2008 and March 26, 2008.

Alumni reunion planned . . .
Looking to get former Lady Blues involved with the softball program, head coach Vanessa Becerra has planned an Alumni Day on April 7, 2012 when the Lady Blues will face Central Oklahoma at 1 p.m. There will be a pregame tailgate sponsored by the Washburn Alumni Association (free for members - $5 for non-members) beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Lady Blues softball history. . .
The Lady Blues are 1026-724-1 in their 43rd year of softball. The Lady Blues have made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008) while winning the 2002 regular season MIAA title.

Up Next . . .
After facing the Griffons on Saturday, Washburn returns home to face Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma in a pair of non-conference twinbills.