By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
One of the most frustrating stretches of Brenda Holaday's long and successful coaching career continued Saturday at Gahnstrom Field, with Washburn University softball dropping a 6-0, 11-3 MIAA doubleheader to No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State.
Washburn sophomore Makenzie Sais went 3 for 3 in the second game Saturday against No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Saturday's losses extended the Ichabods' losing streak to seven games, with all seven defeats coming against nationally-ranked teams.
But Holaday saw some signs Saturday that Washburn, 24-15 overall and 1-9 in the conference, could be ready to start turning things back around.
"That's what we just talked about,'' Holaday said. "We've been in this kind of rut for about three weeks now and just really having a hard time scoring the runs we need to when we get opportunities and making little mistakes. We were very competitive the first game (Friday, a 4-3 nine-inning loss to No. 11 Missouri Southern) and then when it got away from us we didn't bounce back well at all (in a 9-0 second-game loss).
"But I thought today, given how good Pitt State is, we were much more like ourselves. We were just a little over-matched and some things had to go our way at times that didn't, but we struck the ball batter and the kids had some good at-bats and that's where it starts for us and it's something to build on.''
The Ichabods managed five hits in the opener but were unable to push a run across in the 6-0 loss to the Gorillas, who ended the weekend 34-1 overall and 8-0 in the MIAA.
Washburn threatened early and late but could not find a breakthrough.
Junior Aspen Burgardt throws out a runner Saturday for WU against No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Makenzie Sais led off the first inning with a bunt single, while former Seaman standout Aspen Burgardt ripped a double to right-center in the second.
The Ichabods put runners in scoring position again in the fifth inning when Erin Boles and Maddie McGee posted consecutive singles, but Pittsburg State worked out of the jam each time.
Washburn senior pitcher Sadie Walker went the distance in Saturday's 6-0 first-game loss against No. 7-ranked Pittsburg State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sadie Walker went the distance in the circle for Washburn, giving up 12 hits and six runs (five earned) while striking out six in seven innings of work.
Walker retired nine of 10 hitters from the fourth through sixth frames.
Pittsburg State opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single before putting the game out of reach with four runs in the third.
The Gorillas took advantage of a leadoff single, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch before delivering three straight run-scoring hits.
McGee, Burgardt, Boles, Shawnee Heights product Taylor Brees and Sais each recorded a hit for the Ichabods.
Washburn totaled eight hits and plated three runs in the second game but fell 11–3 to the Gorillas.
The Ichabods showed early fight at the plate and erased a shutout with a run in the third inning and two more in the fifth.
However, Pittsburg State used a series of big innings to pull away and remain unbeaten in conference play.
Sais went 3 for 3 with a run scored and a walk while Danielle Schlader added two hits and drove in a pair of Washburn runs on a two-run single in the fifth. Brees also crossed the plate in the inning.
Washburn broke through in the third when Burgardt reached on an error, allowing Sais to score and cut the Ichabod deficit to 3-1.
The Ichabods mounted their biggest rally in the fifth with two unearned runs, pulling within 8–3.
Jenna Sprague made the pitching start for Washburn and worked 4.2 innings before former Silver Lake standout Kendra Cook finished the game in relief.
Washburn will now hit the road, continuing MIAA play at Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney next Friday and Saturday.
The Ichabods are now entering a stretch of games that will provide the team with an opportunity to get back on track, but Holaday knows WU will have to be at its best to make that happen.
"We probably couldn't have played a tougher opening to the MIAA than we have with five different ranked teams in five outings, but at the same time, some of these other teams have been able to build some confidence with some wins and they're tough, too,'' Holaday said.
"They're all good teams, so that's why it's important we build. We don't have a lot of room for error at this point so we've got to get ourselves back to playing the kind of ball we were playing a few weeks ago in order to give ourselves a chance to get back in the fight.''
RiverHawk baseball evens series with 9-8 comeback win
Washburn baseball battled back from an early deficit to take an 8-6 lead on Saturday at Steve Anson Stadium, but the Ichabods (11-19 overall, 8-10 MIAA) could not hold on late as Northeastern State scored two in the ninth to win 9-8 and even the series.
The series rubber match will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Washburn pitcher Caleb Lunnon started the first inning by stranding a pair of RiverHawks on base.
In the second, an error in the field extended the inning as the RiverHawks were able to string together four hits to score three runs.
In the home half Brande Beeby led off with a double and scored on a single by Jack Borgmann. A walk and hit batter loaded the bases for Owen Laessig, who tied the game with a two-out single.
Northeastern State re-took the lead in the fourth inning with a pair of walks and a single to go up 4-3. The RiverHawks scored two runs on three hits in the fifth to push the lead to three.
Laessig led off the fifth with a double and was followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Trenton Barry and Ian Luce to pull within one.
Beeby pushed a single through the right side of the infield to tie the game up at six.
After taking over in the fifth, Seaman product Gavin Wilhelm tossed a scoreless top of the sixth on the mound and Washburn was able to take the lead in the bottom half on a single by Luce to score Laessig. Levi Risenhoover added another run with a single up the middle to put WU up 8-6.
Wilhelm finished his outing with a scoreless seventh inning.
In the eighth inning a runner that reached on an error came around to score on a single for the RiverHawks to cut the deficit down to one.
In the ninth a one-out single and walk put two on for Northeastern State. With two outs an infield single was followed by an error allowing a run to come around and score and tie the game.
Another error in the field plated another run to put Northeastern State in front by the final margin.
Washburn put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth but came up empty.
Hits went 15-12 in favor of Northeastern State which also had 4-3 edges in walks and 5-2 in errors. Three pitchers took the mound for the Ichabods, with just four of nine runs charged as earned.
At the plate four Washburn players had two-hit days.
Laessig went 2-3 with two RBI while Luce went 2-5 and also plated a pair of runs. Risenhoover and Beeby also had two hits.
