TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod softball team wrapped up the regular season splitting the final two games of the home slate at Gahnstrom Field with Emporia State winning 8-0 in five innings before falling 4-2 in eight innings. The Ichabods, the No. 6 seed will open the MIAA Championship Tournament on Thursday at 4 p.m. when they will face the third-seeded Rogers State in Hays, Kan.
Game 1 – WU 8, ESU 0 (5 innings)
In the opener,
Jaden LaBarge made three trips to the plate and left with a school-record-tying three home runs and seven RBI in the game driving in 7 of Washburn's 8 runs in game one.
In the first inning, LaBarge connected on her first long ball of the game sending the first pitch she saw over the right center field fence scoring both
Makenzie Sais who singled and
Kaylee Wagner.
When LaBarge came up in the third inning after a single from Wagner, LaBarge hit another ball over the right field fence as Washburn stretched its lead to 5-0.
LaBarge's third at-bat of the day was a homer down the left field line scoring Wagner who started the inning with a walk as Washburn went up 7-0. The Ichabods closed out the run-rule win when
Erin Boles and
Dalaney Anderson both walked and then
Maddie McGee's basehit scored Ashley Gaughan who entered as a pinch runner for the eighth run of the day and the 8-0 win.
LaBarge's three home day was the first by an Ichabod since Taylor Zimmerman had three at Lincoln on March 4, 2016. It is only the fourth time in program history an Ichabod had a three-homer day. Her seven RBI tied a school record since Taylor Kirk had seven at Lincoln on March 3, 2018. It was the eighth time an Ichabod had driven in seven in a single game.
In the circle,
Sadie Walker improved to 15-8 striking out two scattering four hits in the win.
Sais had two hits and a walk reaching base in all three plate appearances.
Game 2 – ESU 4, WU 2 (8 innings)
The Hornets (30-22, 10-14 MIAA) scored two runs in the top of the second inning taking the early lead. Washburn jumped on the board with a solo run in the fourth inning when LaBarge hit her 12
th home run of the season and the fourth in her fourth-straight at bat cutting ESU's lead to 2-1. The Ichabods (31-20, 13-11 MIAA) tied the score in the sixth inning off a pinch-hit sac fly by
Danielle Schlader, driving in Gaughan who scored for
Erin Boles after starting the inning with a single.
The Ichabods in the seventh inning left a pair of runners on but could not score the winning run. In the eighth, ESU scored two runs taking a 4-2 lead and the Ichabods went down in the eighth with three-straight fly outs.
Sais and Boles each had three hit of Washburn's seven hits in the game with LaBarge collecting the other.
Walker pitched four innings in relief allowing three hits and two earned runs in the eighth.
