By RICK PETERSON
Washburn University softball split a pair of 6-4 MIAA games with Missouri Western on Saturday at Gahnstrom Field, winning the opener and falling in the nightcap.
Dalaney Anderson is mobbed by her Washburn teammates after hitting a three-run home run in Saturday's 6-4 first-game win over Missouri Western. {Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods, who equaled their win total from the 2025 season with the first-game win, will wrap up their home schedule on Sunday, hosting Northwest Missouri in a 1 p.m. twinbill.
Washburn used a six-run third inning in the first game against Missouri Western to take control after trailing 1-0 and held off the Griffons late.
Missouri Western opened the scoring in the top of the third on a solo home run from Halee Higdon to take a brief lead, but Washburn responded immediately in the bottom of the inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs.
Shawnee Heights product Taylor Brees got the Ichabods on the board with an RBI single up the middle to score Kate Ediger.
Two batters later Dalaney Anderson delivered a three-run home run to left field to put Washburn in front.
Erin Boles is congratulated by Washburn third base coach Taylor Zordel after hitting a two-run homer in Saturday's 6-4 first-game win over Missouri Western. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman grad Aspen Burgardt followed with a double and Erin Boles capped the inning with a two-run home run to left-center as Washburn surged ahead 6-1.
Missouri Western chipped away with three runs over the next two innings, cutting the margin to 6-4, but Washburn's pitching and defense shut things down from there.
Senior pitcher Sadie Walker picked up her 16th win of the season in Saturday's 6-4 first-game win over Missouri Western. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior starter Sadie Walker earned the win in the circle, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings. Senior Jenna Sprague closed out the game to pick up the save, recording her school-record eighth career save.
At the plate, Anderson drove in three runs, Boles added two RBI and Brees drove in a run.
Washburn totaled eight hits by eight different players.
Western scored three runs in the first and two in the second jump out to a 5-1 lead in the second game, but Washburn rallied with a three-run Anderson home run in the third inning and brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but Missouri Western held on to record the doubleheader split.
The Ichabods (31-18 overall, 8-12 MIAA) collected seven hits in the second game, including two from Makenzie Sais.
Burgardt drove in Washburn's first run of the game with an RBI single in the opening inning scoring Brees.
In the circle, Sprague went the distance for the Ichabods, allowing six runs on nine hits over seven innings. Sprague struck out five.
