By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The No. 20-ranked Washburn University softball team bounced back from a doubleheader loss at Missouri Southern on Friday with a doubleheader road sweep over Pittsburg State on Saturday, posting 10-5 and 6-3 MIAA wins over the Gorillas.
Washburn (33-11 overall, 12-8 MIAA) scored in six of the seven innings of the first game, holding off a late charge by the Gorillas in the five-run win while pounding out 14 hits.
Washburn All-American Jaycee Ginter picked up her 22nd pitching win in Saturday's 10-5 first-game win at Pittsburg State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural freshman pitcher Sadie Walker did not allow a run en route to Saturday's 6-3 second-game victory at Pittsburg State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn's first run came in the top of the first when Santa Fe Trail product Marrit Mead started the game with a single and then came around to score on a single by former Shawnee Heights standout Jaycee Ginter as the Ichabods went up 1-0.
The Ichabods added two more in the top of the second when Kaylee Wagner walked and, after a triple by Mead, scored from second.
Silver Lake product Ellington Hogle then collected a single to send Mead home as Washburn went up 3-0.
After a scoreless third, Mead doubled to center, scoring Autymn Schreiner, who had a one-out double as the Ichabods boosted the lead to 4-0.
In the fifth, Washburn's Jaden LaBarge singled up the middle to score Paige Robbins as Washburn increased its lead to 5-0.
Pittsburg State came back with a solo run in the fifth, but Washburn added two more runs in the top of the sixth on a two-out single by Erin Boles that drove in Ginter and Hadley Kerschen.
Pitt State (23-17, 8-10) added three runs in the sixth as Sheyenne Cheek relieved starter Ginter and got of a bases-loaded jam to pick up the save.
Washburn stretched its lead to 10-3 with three runs in the top of the seventh on a sac fly by Hogle that scored Gracie Gallagher, who entered as a pinch runner for Wagner who started out the inning with a double.
Ginter then drove in two runs on a single to center, scoring both Mead and Schreiner.
The Gorillas added two more in the seventh, but would get no closer.
Ginter moved to 22-6 in the circle with the win while driving in three with two hits.
Mead was 3 for 4 with three runs scored with a single, double and a triple driving in two. Hogle and Boles also had two RBI in the opener.
For the second game in a row, the Ichabods jumped on the board first with a solo run in the top of the first when LaBarge drove in Mead, who led off the game with a walk and then stole second and advanced to third on a single by Kerschen.
Neither team scored until the third when Washburn took a 3-0 lead when Paige Robbins singled to drive in both Ginter and Kerschen.
In the top of the fifth, Schreiner's double down the right field line scored Boles and Robbins. Then, after Hogle walked, Kerschen singled as the Ichabods pushed the lead to 6-0.
The Gorillas scored three runs in the seventh, cutting the lead in half at 6-3 with five hits, but starter Sacie Walker re-entered the game and pitched the final out for the win.
Kerschen had three hits in the second game as the Ichabods finished with 12 in the game.
LaBarge had two hits as everyone in the Ichabod starting batting line up had at least one hit.
Walker tossed 51/3 innings while striking out six and not allowing a run, improving to 6-4 on the season.
Washburn will be back in action next weekend at Northeastern State and Rogers State.
Hornets even baseball series with 10-8 win
The Ichabods scored twice in the bottom of the ninth and had two runners in scoring position with one out, but were unable to get another run across as Emporia State claimed Game 2, 10-8, on Saturday.
The series rubber match will be on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Falley Field.
The Hornets (16-25, 10-16 MIAA) opened the scoring in the top of the second inning with a leadoff home run to center field by Patryk Hernandez.
The Ichabods (23-17, 16-10 MIAA) answered in the home half of the frame and leveled the score.
Trey Adams and Ike Book hit back-to-back singles and Adams tagged scored from third on a flyout by Otto Jones.
On the first pitch of the bottom of the third, Shane Morrow gave the Ichabods their first lead of the game, launching a home run to center field.
Emporia State used the long ball again to retake the lead, going up 4-2 after a pair of homers in the top of the fifth.
The back-and-forth scoring continued into the bottom of the fifth as Washburn went back in front, 5-4.
Trevor McCollum singled to center field and then scored on Cale Savage's double to right center.
With two outs, on an 0-2 pitch, Adams hit a home run to right field to give Washburn the lead.
The Ichabod pitchers struggled with control in the top of the sixth and walked the first two batters and then both scored on a double from Shawnee Heights product Andrew Rantz that gave Emporia State a one-run advantage. With two outs and the bases loaded after two more walks, a wild pitch scored one run and then a two-RBI single made the score 9-5 in favor of ESU.
Washburn made some noise in the bottom of the sixth and had the bases loaded with two outs after a single and back-to-back walks, but Emporia State ended the threat with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the seventh, Cal Watkins hit a leadoff home run to cut into the Hornets' lead, but Emporia State got that run back in the eighth to go back up, 10-6.
Still trailing by four heading to the bottom of the ninth, the Ichabods got right to work.
Watkins led off with a first-pitch double to center field and then traded places with Adams on his double down the left field line.
Book drew a five-pitch walk and Adams moved over to third on a fly out to put runners on the corners.
Former Hayden standout Andrew Schmidtlein stepped up as a pinch hitter and singled through the right side to drive in a run and make it a two-run deficit.
On that single, the right fielder committed an error and both Book and Schmidtlein moved into scoring position. The Ichabod rally ended there, though, as the final two outs took only two pitches.
Washburn finished with a 14-8 advantage in hits and there was a combined six home runs and five doubles between the two teams.
Adams was 3-5 with a home run, double, three RBI and three runs scored. Watkins also went 3-5 and recorded a home run and scored twice. Book landed two hits and was walked once.
Ichabod starter Casey Steward started the game strong by striking out the side and finished his outing with 10 strikeouts, but he was tabbed with the loss after going 51/3 innings and allowing seven runs, six of which were earned, on six hits and five walks.
Jayden Payne pitched the final 12/3 of the game and did not allow a run or hit.
