By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Wednesday was a triumphant return to Topeka for the Central Missouri sotball trio of Paige Peteish, Abbey Fischer and coach Susan (Punzo) Anderson as the fourth-seeded Jennies took a 5-2 first-round MIAA Tournament victory over fifth seed Washburn at the Envista Softball Complex at Lake Shawnee.

Former Shawnee Heights standout Abbey Fischer (7) is mobbed by her teammates after hitting a two-run home run in Central Missouri's 5-2 MIAA Tournament win over Washburn Wednesday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Shawnee Heights prodduct Paige Petefish (left), being congratulated by teammate Jessica Sader, picked up a complete-game 5-2 pitching victory for Central Missouri against Washburn Wednesday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Petefish. Fischer and Anderson, who are all Shawnee Heights graduates, returned to a Lake Shawnee complex which is where the T-Birds play their home games, and Petefish and Fischer set the tone as the Jennies advanced to the winner's bracket semifinals.

The Ichabods jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a home run by Shawnee Heights product Jaycee Ginter, a former teammate of Petefish and Fischer, in the Ichabods' first at bat and Washburn held the lead until the bottom of the third when Fischer hit a two-run home run to put UCM (33-19) up 2-1.

Washburn standout Marrit Mead connects on a home run in Wednesday's 5-2 MIAA Tournament loss Wednesday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

The Jennies added a solo run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 3-1 advantage before WU's Marrit Mead connected on a home run to cut the UCM lead to 3-2.

The Jennies added two more in the bottom of the sixth to account for the final margin as Petefish got out of a minor jam in the seventh with a game-ending Central Missouri double play.

Petefish (12-5) went the distance for a five-hitter, walking one and striking out four. 

Jaden LaBarge had two of Washburn's hits and Mead, Ellington Hogle and Ginter had the other three.

 Ginter took the loss in the pitcher's circle, falling to 23-9 while striking out five.

Washburn will face Fort Hays State at 11 a.m. on Thursday in an elimination game while Central Missouri will face No. 1 seed Central Oklahoma at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Central Oklahoma rallied late for an 8-2 win over Fort Hays State while No. 2 seed Missouri Southern took an 11-3 win over Emporia State and No. 3 Rogers State beat Missouri Western, 6-5.