EMPORIA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods split an MIAA doubleheader at Emporia State on Friday night falling 5-1 before rallying in the seventh inning for an 11-8 extra inning victory. The two teams will meet up on Saturday in Topeka in the Ichabods' home-opening games starting at 1 p.m. at the Washburn Softball Complex.

Game 1 - Emporia State 5, Washburn 1
Emporia State scored a solo run in the first inning and the Ichabods came back with a run of their own on an RBI double by Lacie Myers scoring Haylee Marsteller for Washburn's only run in the opener.

ESU regained the lead with two more in the second inning and two more in the fifth for the win.

Lacie Myers had two of the three hits for the Ichabods in the opener with Marsteller adding the third in the game. Samantha Carson allowed five earned runs in the loss for Washburn striking out one. The Hornets stole 10 bases in the game.

Game 2 - Washburn 11, Emporia State 8 (8 innings)
Washburn scored four runs in the eighth inning capped by a 3-run homer by Taylor Zimmerman as they rallied for an 11-8 win over Emporia State.

The Ichabods took a 2-0 lead in their first at bat when Erin Keeney connected on a homer to right scoring Cassidy Merriman who reached with a single then stole second base. However the Hornets came back with two of their own in the bottom of the second tying the score at 2-2.
Neither team scored until the Hornets added five runs in the third inning collecting six hits in the frame.

In the fifth inning, Ashley Ruder led off the inning with a single and then Merriman tripled scoring Ruder. Megan Stegman reached on an error scoring Merriman cutting the lead to 7-4 for ESU. Marina Quimby singled to right scoring Taylor Zimmerman who reached on a single drawing the Ichabods within two at 7-5. The Ichabods stranded one on base in the sixth but in the seventh, a two-out, 2-RBI double by Sierra Kemp scored Haylee Marsteller and Erin Keeney knotting the score at 7-7.

In the eighth, Taylor Zimmerman connected on a 3-run home run scoring Stegman and Keeney who both singled. Keeney put Washburn ahead with a single scoring Merriman. In the bottom of the eighth, ESU added a run cutting the Ichabod lead to 11-8, but would not get any closer as the Ichabods held on for the win.

Merriman and Zimmerman each had three hits and Keeney and Zimmerman both had 3 RBI and a home run and Sierra Kemp drove in two. Ashley Wills picked up the win pitching the complete game striking out three in the win.

The win snapped a 38-game losing streak to the Hornets picking up their first win since April 25, 2005 in a 4-3 win in Topeka.