TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team won its first MIAA regular season championship since 2002 after splitting a doubleheader with Missouri Western on Thursday at the Washburn Softball Complex. The Ichabods (37-10, 21-3 MIAA) will wrap up the regular season on senior day on Friday with a twin bill against Northwest Missouri starting at 1:30 p.m.
                                                                                                                               
Game 2 – Washburn 5, Missouri Western 4
 
After falling in game one 7-4 to the Griffons, the Ichabods found themselves down 1-0 after MWSU's first at bat when their lead-off batter Shelby Uhl started the game with a solo home run. The Ichabods came back with two runs in the bottom of the first taking the 2-1 lead. Samantha Stallbaumer led off the game with a single and swiped second base and would later score on a single by Taylor Kirk. Taking advantage of a Griffon error in the frame, Kirk would come around to score on a single to first base after Maddie Anderson won a foot race to the bag.
 
The Griffons tied the score with a solo run in the second inning, but again the Ichabods rallied to go up 3-2 after Emilee Baker's ground out scored Ashley Ruder who started the inning with a single.
 
Neither team would score until the top of the sixth when the Griffons scored twice, but again Washburn matched the Griffons' scoring frame with two of its own on RBI singles by Lexie Myers and with two outs, Baker's base knock scored Courtney Todd who pinch ran for Halle England after hitting a double down the line capping a 3 for 3 day at the plate.
 
Baker drove in two in the game and Stallbaumer had three hits as well.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Griffons had runners on first and third with one out, but Lexi Crabtree came in collecting her single-season record fifth save of the season recording a fly out and a pop up to end the game securing the title for the Ichabods.
 
Kelsee Henry moved to 15-3 on the season tossing six innings allowing three earned runs scattering four hits.
 
Game 1 – Missouri Western 7, Washburn 4
The Griffons scored two runs in the top of the second on a home run by Gabi Carter, but the Ichabods took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the third taking a 4-2 lead. Brianna Francis, Maddie Anderson, Ashley Ruder and Samantha Stallbaumer each had RBI in the frame and Stallbaumer also stole two bases in the inning.
 
However the Griffons scored four runs in the fifth and added a solo run in the sixth leading to the 7-4 win.
 
Washburn stranded 12 base runners in the first game as Megan Deiter took her first loss in the circle on the season dropping to 16-1 overall.