A day after having its nine-game win streak ended by Fort Hays State, the Washburn softball team started a new streak with a doubleheader sweep over Nebraska-Kearney Saturday at Gahnstrom Field.
The Ichabods needed an extra inning to take a 7-6 win in the first game before dominating the second game 7-0 behind pitcher Raegen Hamm to improve to 19-4 and 5-1 in the MIAA.
Washburn pitcher Raegen Hamm threw a second-game shutout in the Ichabods' 7-0 win over Nebraska-Kearney Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn worked its way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth inning before scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the inning.
Marrit Mead led off the inning with a single and then moved to second on a stolen base and to third on a groundout by HadleyKershen before freshman Jaycee Ginter singled down the first base line to score Mead with the winning run.
Washburn had taken a 2-0 lead on a two-run home run from Ashton Friend, but Nebraska-Kearney scored four runs off Ginter in the top of the fourth, including a three-run homer from Katie Gosker.
Washburn added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game at 4-4 but the Lopers went up 6-4 in the top of the sixth before the Ichabods answered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Ginter doubled and scored on Friend's single before Kim Patterson's hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 6-6.
Mead and Ginter each had three hits in the opener and Friend scored three runs and had three RBIS, while Ginter picked up the pitching win to improve to 9-1.
The Ichabods scored the only run pitcher Hamm would need in the second inning of the second game when Patterson's double scored Brianna Fuchs from first base.
Washburn added another run in the third when Ginter's groundout scored Mead, who had singled, and Mead crushed a two-run home run in the fourth.
Bri Francis hits a two-out homer to dead center field in the bottom of the fifth and Mead connected on her second two-run homer of the game in the sixth to end WU's scoring.
Mead led the Ichabods with three hits, scoring three times and driving in four with her two home runs.
Hamm moved to 10-3 on the season, striking out five while scattering four hits in the complete-game shutout.
Washburn will be back in action on Friday at Missouri Western before facing Northwest Missouri on the road Saturday.
ICHABOD WOMEN SWEEP WEEKEND TENNIS MATCHES -- The No. 19-ranked Washburn women's tennis team capped its two-match weekend with a 7-0 sweep over Emporia State Sunday at the Washburn Tennis Complex.
The Ichabods opened the match by sweeping the doubles point for an early advantage. The duo of Svea Crohn and Maria Soler Valverde swept their opponents 6-0 from the No. 3 spot while Marta Torres and Logan Morrisey posted a 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles and Kinsey Fields and Maja Jung won the No. 2 match, 7-5.
In singles action Washburn got wins from Torres (6-0, 6-1), Crohn (6-4, 7-5), Soler Valverde (6-1, 6-3), Jung (6-0, 6-1), Fields (6-1, 6-2 and Sydnee Foster (6-1, 3-6, 12-10).
The Ichabods improved to a perfect 9-0 record, while the Hornets falls to 5-2 this season.
Washburn swept Newman 7-0 to open the weekend.
Washburn will travel to Oklahoma for a two-match weekend, starting by facing No. 5 Central Oklahoma on Friday in Edmond, Okla. Washburn then will travel to Tahlequah, Okla. to face Northeastern State on Saturday.
MEN'S TENNIS CAPS SWEEP WITH WIN OVER HORNETS -- The No. 18-ranked Washburn men's tennis team shut out Emporia State 7-0 on Sunday at Washburn after topping Newman on Saturday.
The Ichabods clinched the doubles point to start the match, including sweeps from the duos of Miguel Perez and Paul Haase at No. 3 and Raul-Alin Dicu and Daniel Bird (No. 2).
Haase started off singles action with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 victory from the third spot. Perez then followed with a 6-3, 6-2 win from the No. 2 spot. No. 1 player Dicu came out with a 6-2, 6-1 victory to clinch the Washburn win.
Bradley Eidenmueller too a 6-3 win from the No. 4 shot before No. 5 Bird took a 6-3, 6-0 win and Marc Roura Casi closed out the sweep with a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 6.
The Ichabods improved to 9-2, while the Hornets fall to 6-3.
WOMEN'S TRACK SETS SCHOOL MARKS -- The Washburn Ichabod women's track team finished off the second day of the ESU Relays at Emporia State Saturday, setting two school records and earning an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.
Isabella Hohl finished 11th in the 100-meter dash, breaking the school record and setting a personal best in a time of 12.31 seconds, and also ran on the Ichabod 4X100 relay team that set a school record in 48.22 along with Hayden product Darian Hillebert, Mandana Vouillemin and Shae Ware.
Skyler Saunders won the high jump with a clearance at 1.68 meters (5 foot, 6 inches), recording the first NCAA provisional mark for the women's squad this season.
The WU men also set a school record, with Sam Stranathan with throwing the hammer 54.84 meters (179-11) to eclipse the previous record by nearly four feet.
WU GOLF HEADS TO NSIC PREVIEW -- Coming off a win in its invitational last week, the Ichabods will compete in the NSIC Preview Monday and Tuesday at the Shoal Creek Golf Club in Kansas City, Mo.
Senior Andrew Beckler was the individual champion in the Washburn Invitational with a 13-under-par 54-hole total of 200 while the Ichabods won the team championship by nine strokes over Missouri Western.
MEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNS STATE CHAMP ORR -- Washburn has announced the signing of Andrew Orr, a 6-8, 215-pound power forward from Blue Valley North High School.
Orr joins early signee Jaden Monday from Van Horn High School after helping lead Blue Valley North to the Class 6A state championship this past season..
"We're very excited and feel very fortunate to have Andrew joining our program," Washburn coach Brett Ballard said. "One of the biggest things that stands out with him is that he is very competitive and plays with a great motor. He was an all-league player and played in a great high school program that just won the 6A state championship in Kansas so he understands how to win at a high level. He has good hands and post game and he we like the length and athleticism that he will provide us."
Orr averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds as a senior while shooting 69 percent from the field.
