TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team worked overtime in each game on Friday against Northeastern State falling 4-3 in the opener in eight innings before taking the nightcap 7-5 in 11 innings. Washburn returns to action on Saturday at Rogers State.
 
Game 1 – NSU 4, WU 3 (8 innings)
A walk-off home run by the RiverHawks pushed NSU to a 4-3 win in the opener in eight innings.
The RiverHawks took the early lead scoring one in the bottom of the second before Washburn (34-12, 13-9 MIAA) knotted the score in the fourth tied 4-4.
 
In the fourth, Paige Robbins' grounded out scoring Jayce Ginter who reached on a fielder's choice. Neither team scored until the bottom of the sixth when the RiverHawks hit a 2-run homer taking a 3-1 lead, but the advantage was short-lived as the Ichabods came back with two of their own tying the score at 3-3 in their at bat in the seventh inning.
 
Erin Boles was hit by a pitch to start the seventh and Autymn Schreiner reached on a NSU fielding error and after Kaylee Wagner walked, Marrit Mead's fielder's choice scored  Boles. Ellington Hogle's sac fly scored Schreiner sending the game to extra innings after the RiverHawks went down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
 
In the eighth, the Ichabods left two on base after singles by Jaden LaBarge and Paige Robbins but Washburn came up empty leading to the NSU heroics in the bottom of the eighth with the game winner.
 
Six different players had hits for the Ichabods in the opener. Ginter took the loss in the circle falling to 22-7 striking out 10.
 
Game 2 – WU 7, NSU 5 (11 innings)
The Ichabods broke open a 3-3 tie in the top of the 11th with four runs and held off a late rally by the RiverHawks in the bottom of the inning in a 7-5 win.
 
After each team scored three runs in the sixth inning, both teams were scoreless until the 11th when LaBarge led off the inning with a single and then after a sac bunt by Robbins, Danielle Schlader singled up the middle driving in LaBarge. After a single by Jenna Moore, Mead doubled scoring Schlader. Another Ichabod double by Hogle scored both Moore and Mead as the Ichabods pushed their lead to 7-3.
 
After the RiverHawks (26-19, 8-12 MIAA) had a two-run homer cutting the lead in half at 7-5, Sheyenne Cheek replaced Ichabod starter Sadie Walker who pitched a career-high 10 innings, to earn the save getting the remaining three outs helping Washburn to the split.
 
Walker threw 143 pitches striking out nine with one walk allowing five runs improving to 7-4 in the circle.
 
Schlader led the Ichabod 12-hit attack with three hits driving in three runs. Hogle drove in two.