TOPEKA, Kan. -- No. 18 Washburn (23-5, 2-2) lost back-to-back games for the first time this season on Sunday afternoon against No. 6 Central Oklahoma (18-3, 4-0), falling 12-10 in game one and 10-2 in the second game. The Ichabods stay in Topeka but are out of action for the next 12 days, returning to face Lincoln and Central Missouri on March 24 and 25.
Game one: Central Oklahoma 12, Washburn 10
Jaycee Ginter got the start in the circle for the Ichabods and tossed 137 pitches over five plus innings. She finished allowing nine runs with eight walks and three strikeouts.
Paige Robbins led off the bottom of the inning with a double into left field, Hadley Kerschen walked to put two on base. Ginter gave herself some run support with an opposite field home run over the left field wall. Marrit Mead walked and stole second base to put herself in position to be driven home by Danielle Schlader on a line drive down the right field line to make it 4-0 after one.
The Bronchos got the runs back quickly in the second, beginning with a leadoff home run from Jacee Minter. Three walks loaded the bases and a single brought one more run in. The fourth walk of the inning scored another run. Central Oklahoma took the lead on a grand slam home run by Amelya Huggins, giving the Bronchos seven runs in the inning.
History repeated itself in the bottom of the fourth inning which began with a leadoff single by Autymn Schreiner. Kerschen singled with one out and once again Ginter hit a three-run blast over the left field wall to tie the game at seven.
In the top of the fifth Central Oklahoma was able to pick up two runs, both coming on a single hit up the middle with two outs in the inning after the bases were loaded.
Washburn got one run back on the bottom of the inning on a home run off the top of the scoreboard by Schlader to pull the Ichabods within one.
The scoring didn't stop in the sixth inning, with Sheyenne Cheek replacing Ginter in the circle after a leadoff walk. The next two batters walked as well to load the bases. Washburn got one out on a fielders choice at home, but an error on the second part of the attempted double play resulted in the Bronchos scoring one. A single up the middle followed putting Central Oklahoma up 11-8.
The Ichabods kept pace in the bottom of the sixth, with a walk from Kerschen before she advanced to second and was brought home by a Mead single up the middle. Jaden LaBarge made it back-to-back with an infield single, scoring Mead from second to pull back within one.
The Bronchos hit a third home run of the game in the top of the seventh, coming from Emily Deramus over the center field wall. Cheek finished the inning and ended with a final line of one earned run over two innings with three strikeouts.
After scoring the three innings prior Washburn was unable to get any runs across in the seventh, dropping game one 12-10. Ginter took the loss moving to 16-2. At the plate she finished with six RBI and two hits.
Game two: Central Oklahoma 10, Washburn 2
Sadie Walker started in the circle for Washburn and began the game with two scoreless innings. She finished the game allowing four runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
The Ichabods took an early lead once again on a sacrifice fly from LaBarge in the first inning, scoring Kerschen who hit a one-out single.
Central Oklahoma tied it in the top of the first with a leadoff homer by Mikayla Rutland. With two outs two consecutive Bronchos reached base on walks before a triple scored them both. A wild pitch scored a fourth run and Cheek entered in relief again, finishing the inning.
Washburn went down 1-2-3 the next two innings. In the fifth Central Oklahoma got a leadoff double and scored on an error in the field. A double and a single back-to-back each brought home one more run to make it 7-1.
In the sixth Rutland once again led off an inning with a solo home run. A one-out double put another runner on before Huggins hit her second home run of the day for Central Oklahoma, giving the Bronchos 10 runs.
Washburn pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth, a single by Hailey Neira scoring Mead who had singled. That was all the Ichabods could muster with the game ending on run rule. Cheek finished her outing allowing four earned runs in 3.1 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Walker took the loss moving to 3-3. Kerschen and Schreiner each had two of Washburn's six hits.
