By RICK PETERSON
Washburn University softball celebrated Senior Day in the best way possible Sunday at Gahnstrom Field, earning a 2-0, 6-3 MIAA sweep over Northwest Missouri while wrapping up a spot in the conference tournament.
Sophomore Dalaney Anderson had a pair of two-run doubles in Washburn's 6-3 second-game Senior Day win over Northwest Missouri, giving her 10 RBI on the weekend. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]] The Ichabods, 33-18 overall and 10-12 in the MIAA, will now have 13 days off before closing out their regular season at Emporia State on May 2.
Sunday's sweep over Northwest Missouri came on the heels of a Saturday split with Missouri Western, giving Washburn wins in five of its last six games and nine of its last 12 starts. The Ichabods have now surpassed their 31-win total in 2025 by two victories.
"I actually liked our effort all weekend,'' Washburn coach Brenda Holaday said. "I thought yesterday could have gone the other way (in the second game against Western), but they were two close games and we needed to learn how to play 14 innings. I feel like we've still been searching for that.
"We've had some sweeps, but maybe against teams that weren't as high of quality as these back-to-back days, so I thought the girls were really dialed in. I was probably most proud of the amount of adjustments we made at the plate the last two days.''
Between games on Sunday Washburn honored seniors Sadie Walker, Erin Boles, Danielle Schlader, Kate Ediger and Jenna Sprague.
Walker and Sprague both registered complete-game pitching victories on Sunday, with Walker improving to 17-8 on the season and Sprague to 7-7.
Washburn sophomore Makenzie Sais tripled and scored the game-winning run in Sunday's 2-0 first-game win over Northwest Missouri and became the MIAA record-holder for stolen bases in a single season. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]Sophomore center-fielder Makenzie Sais stole two bases in the opener, becoming the MIAA single-season record-holder for steals with 66 while sophomore second baseman Dalaney Anderson registered two two-run doubles in the second game to give her 10 RBI on the weekend.
Anderson hit a pair of three-run home runs in Saturday's split with Western.
"I just really wanted to put everything out there for my seniors,'' Anderson said. "I struggled a little bit at the beginning of conference, so I've really been trying to see the ball and hit the ball and wanted to do as much as I could for my seniors.''
Sunday's opener was scoreless through five and a half innings before the Ichabods scored the game-winning runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Sais ignited the rally with a leadoff triple and Kate Dolan drove her home with a single and scored on a run-scoring single from Aspen Burgardt.
Washburn senior pitcher Sadie Walker improved to 17-8 on the season with a 2-0 complete-game win over Northwest Missouri. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]Northwest got baserunners on in the top of the seventh, but Walker was able get out of the inning to cap off her six-hit shutout while recording five strikeouts and walking just two hitters.
Sais went 2 for 2 in the game while Burgardt 2 for 3.
Northwest Missouri (28-17, 8-12) jumped on top 1-0 in the top of the first in the second game, but Washburn took the lead with a three-run third and put up another three runs in the fifth after the Bearcats had cut their deficit to 3-2 in the top of the inning.
