TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 18 Washburn (23-3, 2-0) ran its win streak to 15 games with two wins over Newman (6-14, 0-2) to open MIAA play on Friday. The Ichabods took down the Jets 7-4 in game one and 11-3 in the second leg of the doubleheader. Washburn will take on No. 6 Central Oklahoma in a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. due to forecasted weather on Saturday.
Game one: Washburn 7, Newman 4
Jaycee Ginter got the start in the circle for Washburn. She put in a final line of one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks over six innings tossed. The one run for Newman came in the first inning with the first three batters beginning with a single, stolen base and then another single.
The Ichabods got the run right back, beginning with Ginter hitting a two-out double. Marrit Mead traded places with her, hitting a line drive to left center to tie the game.
Washburn added to the lead in the second. Paige Robbins singled to center field, scoring Danielle Schlader who led off with a walk. Hadley Kerschen brought home two runs with a double down the right field line and Ginter completed the scoring with an RBI groundout to make it 5-1.
The score remained that way until the bottom of the sixth which began with a walk from Robbins and singles from Kerschen and Ginter to load the bases. Mead hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Robbins, and Kerschen was able to score on a wild pitch to make it 7-1 after six.
Sheyenne Cheek pitched the top of the seventh for Washburn, giving up three runs on three hits while striking out two to keep the Jets at bay and finish the game 7-4. Ginter earned the win, moving to 16-1 on the season, both her and Kerschen logged two of the Ichabods eight hits.
Game two: Washburn 11, Newman 3
Sadie Walker got the start in game two for the Ichabods. She surrendered three runs all of which came on one swing in the top of the first inning. After two singles Gianna De Luca-Paape put a ball over the center field wall for Newman.
Just like game one Washburn had a quick response. Walks from Robbins and Ginter, along with Mead being hit by a pitch loaded the bases with one out. Jaden LaBarge doubled to left center, clearing the bases and tying the game at three. Erin Boles followed with a single and moved to second with LaBarge being thrown out at home. Autymn Schriener brightened the mood with a double down the left field line, scoring Boles to take the lead.
Walker made it through two outs in the second inning but exited with an injury. She finished allowing three runs on three hits with three strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Cheek entered and finished out the inning.
Washburn got one more in the second on a bases-loaded walk from LaBarge, scoring Robbins who singled to reach base.
The Ichabods finished the rest of the scoring in the fourth inning. Kerschen, Ginter and Mead singled to lead off the inning and load the bases and LaBarge drove in two more with a single up the middle.
Schreiner picked up another RBI on a fielder's choice grounder, scoring Mead. Kimi Patterson followed with a sacrifice fly. A walk by Schlader loaded the bases again and another walk for Robbins scored another run. Kerschen finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Schreiner.
Cheek stayed on to finish the game and did so much more smoothly, retiring three of four batters in the fifth. She finished going 3.1 innings, walking three, striking out four and allowing only two hits on the way to moving to 4-0 in the circle.
LaBarge finished the game with two hits and drove in six runs across her plate appearances. It's just one short of the program record seven which has been done seven times. It was the first time an Ichabod had reached or surpassed the six RBI mark since the 2019 season when Taylor Kirk had six.
