Washburn softball extends win streak to 16 games, now 22-0 at home

By KYLE MANTHE

The Washburn Review

Washburn softball’s weekend of play had it all, from a walkoff to a complete game,with the one commonality in all four that the Ichabods finished each game on top.

The perfect 4-0 weekend only accounts for a fourth of the team’s current 16-game winning streak, with the active streak the second-longest of the season for Washburn, which rattled off 17 in a row earlier.

“I see that stuff on social media and people ask but at least for me as a coach it really doesn’t mean anything to me,” said WU coach Brenda Holaday. “It’s nice to be towards the end of the season and realize that you are playing for something.”

Jaden LaBarge knocked in 10 runs on the weekend as Washburn prolonged its winning streak to 16 games. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/The Washburn Review]

Washburn star sophomore pitcher Jaycee Ginter improved to 23-3 with a pair of weekend victories. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/The Washburn Review]

Prior to the weekend games the Ichabods (36-11) received votes in the NFCA top-25 poll, landing at 33. Holaday is happy about the recognition but wants to focus on conference and regional rankings.

“I think it’s respect,” Holaday said. “I think our kids have earned that respect so I am happy for them. I don’t spend a lot of time on it but I do think it’s a message of respect for your team,”

The pair of sweeps moved Washburn to 18-2 in MIAA play and up to second in the conference, passing Rogers State which lost three straight.

“I knew we were good but it kind of surprised me,” said freshman Jaden LaBarge who had 10 runs batted in on the weekend. “I figured every team would have their ups and downs, I mean we have had ups and downs, but so far we have been pretty good at keeping it {going}.”

The Ichabods finished the weekend with a perfect 22-0 record at home after entering the weekend with one of the five longest home winning streaks in all of Division II.

Washburn was scoreless for six innings in Game 1 of the weekend Friday against Missouri Southern and former Shawnee Heights standout Jaycee Ginter allowed four runs in her seven innings of work.

A home run from Ashton Friend drove home Ginter to begin the comeback.

LaBarge started her big weekend with a two-run single to tie the game and Sante Fe Trail product Marrit Mead delivered the game-winning walk-off double to take the 5-4 win.

“We are a team that doesn’t give up until the end,” Mead said. “I was just trying to get it on the right side so that our runners could move and score.”

“I just let them play,” Holaday said. “As a coach I was sort of curious to see how they would respond with that much pressure on them in the last inning and they did really well.”

Ginter, who leads Division II with 23 wins, earned number 22 after the comeback.

The Ichabods jumped ahead and never looked back in Game 2 against Southern, getting third inning RBI from Paige Robbins, Ginter and Friend.

LaBarge knocked in four runs in the game, two in the fifth and two in the sixth, Ginter and Friend each added one more and Patterson plated one in the fifth and sixth, the second one to finish the game after six innings with an 11-3 victory.

Washburn got a strong start from Ashlie Thissen, who threw 5.1 innings and allowed just three runs, improving her record to 4-0 on the year.

“I think that second game might be as well as we have played all year … we still had a couple of miscues on defense but I thought we were really tough at the plate,” Holaday said. “Ashlie was huge … I thought she was really a difference maker for us”

Washburn's softball team celebrates a weekend victory at Gahnstrom Field. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]

On day two against Pittsburg State Saturday Ginter was strong in the circle, going all seven innings and allowing just five hits in a shutout win, and she also had three hits at the plate.

LaBarge had a sac fly and bases loaded walk to drive in two. Friend walked twice with the bases loaded and Mead completed the scoring with a fourth inning single in the 5-0 victory.

“I thought we played a really clean first game, I didn’t think it was our best game but I thought Jaycee handled it really well on the mound,” Holaday said.

The Gorillas led 2-0 in Game 2 Saturday before the Ichabods scored the next seven. Friend drove in one in the first and Hadley Kerschen tied the game in the second. Mead followed with an RBI single to take the lead.

Robbins knocked in three with a bases-loaded triple and Ginter brought her home with a sac fly to lead, 7-2.

The two runs against Thissen were unearned after two errors and she exited in the second inning, with Raegen Hamm replacing her.

Hamm allowed three runs in the third, two coming on a home run, cutting the deficit to two runs.

Kimi Patterson got one back for Washburn with a solo shot to right field. LaBarge drove in the next two with a double and single in the fourth and fifth inning, respectively.

“I kind of changed my mental approach this weekend compared to last weekend. Just trying to stay within myself and relaxing at the plate instead of trying to do too much,” LaBarge said.

The Gorillas plated one unearned run in the sixth to pull within four. Ginter got it back and more with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the inning, making it 12-6. Hamm finished the game in the seventh and earned the win after 5.1 innings of work.

“I also was proud of Raegen Hamm,” Holaday said. “Her and Ashlie gave us great innings the last two days which, this time of the season when people are tired, that’s important.”

“I thought we hit the ball a lot better the second game. We got hits up and down our lineup and I was proud of that.”

That home record will be put to the test next weekend with a pair of doubleheaders, first against Northeastern State University Friday, then with Rogers State Saturday, April 23.