KEARNEY, Neb. – Washburn Softball fell in both games of its doubleheader at Nebraska-Kearney on Friday, April 8, falling 7-6 in game one and 7-0 in the finale.
 
WU (17-19, 7-11 MIAA) continues its weekend on Saturday, April 9 at Fort Hays State.  First pitch against the Tigers is set for 1 p.m.
 
Box scores for the UNK games were not immediately available.
 
Nebraska-Kearney 7, Washburn 6
Washburn took a 6-4 lead into the final half inning but couldn't slow a hard-charging Loper comeback in the first game of the day, falling 7-6 to the Lopers.
 
Ashley Ruder, Cassidy Merriman, Haylee Marsteller all had two hits in the first game, and Lexie Meyers hit her first home run of the game.
 
Samantha Carson (8-9) went the full game (6.1 innings), giving up seven runs five earned) while striking out two.
 
The Ichabods jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first behind Merriman's RBI double that scored Ruder from second, and then pushed the lead to 2-0 in the third as Megan Stegman came home off Taylor Zimmerman's sacrifice fly.
 
In the bottom of the third, UNK tied things up after a two-RBI triple with two outs, but WU responded in the top of the fourth as Marina Quimby, who doubled to start the inning, raced home after Lacie Myers singled and the ball was misplayed in right field.
 
After UNK took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth, Washburn broke open for three more runs in the top of the sixth behind three hits, including a two-run home run from Lexie Myers, and two Loper errors.  With one out, Lacie Myers reached on a fielding error by the second baseman and was brought home when Lexie Myers ripped a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall, scoring Nayna Fields (who pinch ran for Lacie Myers earlier in the inning).  From there, Ruder reached on an infield single and took second as Stegman reached on the second error of the inning, coming around to score off Merriman's single into left.
 
UNK, however, rallied in the final frame to complete the comeback win by stringing together four hits.
 
Nebraska-Kearney 7, Washburn 0
Washburn struggled offensively and came up with just three hits in a 7-0 loss in the day's finale.
 
Ashley Wills (8-8) took the loss, going all seven innings with seven strikeouts and seven runs allowed (three earned.
 
Cassidy Merriman, Lexie Myers and Samathan Carson came through with hits for the Ichabods.
 
Washburn threatened with runners in scoring position in the first, second, third, fourth and seventh innings but couldn't push a run home.