TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn softball team, who received votes in the latest NFCA top 25 coaches poll, rallied for a win in the opener and rolled to a big win in the nightcap as the Ichabods swept Missouri Southern winning 5-4 and 11-3. The Ichabods will be back in action on Saturday at 1 p.m. hosting Pittsburg State.
Game 1 – WU 5, MSSU 4
The Ichabods (34-11, 16-2 MIAA) entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 4-0, but rallied for their 19
th win in a row at Gahnstrom Field scoring five runs in their last at bat in the 5-4 win. Starting the seventh,
Jaycee Ginter led off the frame with a single to right and then
Ashton Friend's team-leading 14
th homer of the season off the scoreboard in right cut the Lion lead to 4-2.
Hadley Kerschen drew a walk and then after a popout for the Ichabods' first out of the inning,
Autymn Schreiner doubled down the left field line and then
Jaden LaBarge single up the middle drove in two runs tying the score at 4-4.
Maddie Stipsits was then hit by a pitch and
Marrit Mead drove in the winning run with a double to right field on a 2-1 pitch scoring LaBarge with the winning run.
The Lions (22-17, 10-6 MIAA) scored two of their runs in the fifth and the final two in the seventh before the Ichabods rallied in the seventh for the win.
Mead and Ginter each had two hits and Friend and LaBarge each had 2 RBI. In the circle, Ginter improved to 22-3 striking out six in the win.
Game 2 – WU 11, MSSU 4
The Ichabods jumped on the board first with three runs in the bottom of the third inning when Kerschen reached with a walk and after a single by Mead and an RBI double by
Paige Robbins and a single by Ginter, Washburn went up 3-0.
The Lions scored two runs in the fifth cutting the lead to 3-2, but Washburn came back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth sending nine to the plate. Kerschen again started the inning with a single and then after a Mead single, Robbins reached on a fielder's choice and Ginter collected her second RBI of the game with a single to center. Friend drew a walk and then LaBarge's 2-RBI single to left scored Robbins and Ginter sending Washburn to a 7-2 advantage.
Washburn scored four more in the sixth leading to the 11-3 run-rule win. Kerschen reached on an error and Mead and Robbins both singled. After Friend walked to load the bases, LaBarge's single to right center drove in Mead and Robbins and with singles by Schreiner and Patterson, the Ichabods plated their 11
th run on Patterson's knock scoring Friend.
LaBarge drove in a career-high four runs going 3 for 4 and Mead was 3 for 4 with two runs scored as Washburn pounded out 14 hits. Robbins scored three times and collected two hits.
Ashlie Thissen moved to 4-0 in the circle tossing 5 1/3 innings and Ginter pitched the final two outs to close out the game.
