By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn and Emporia State softball teams battled to a standoff in Saturday's final doubleheader of the regular season while individually the day belonged to Ichabod senior first baseman Jaden LaBarge.
Washburn senior Jaden LaBarge had four home runs and eight RBI in Saturday's twinbill split with ESU. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn senior Jaden LaBarge is congratulated by her teammates after hitting her third home run in Saturday's 8-0 first-game win over ESU. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
LaBarge, who was one of six Ichabods honored between games on Senior Day at Gahnstrom Field, hit three home runs in as many at bats in Washburn's 8-0 five-inning first-game win and added a fourth homer in the second game, a 4-2 eight-inning Emporia State victory.
In the opener LaBarge tied a school record with her three home runs and seven runs batted in.
In the first inning, LaBarge connected on her first long ball of the day, scoring fellow seniors Alexis Tanguma and Kaylee Wagner.
When LaBarge came up in the third inning, after a single from Wagner, LaBarge hit another round-tripper as Washburn stretched its lead to 5-0.
LaBarge's third at-bat of the day was a homer down the left-field line, scoring Wagner, as Washburn went up 7-0.
The Ichabods closed out the run-rule win when Erin Boles and Dalaney Anderson both walked and then Maddie McGee's hit scored scored Ashley Gaughan, who entered as a pinch runner, for the eighth run of the day and the 8-0 win.
LaBarge's three home run game was the first by an Ichabod since Taylor Zimmerman had three at Lincoln on March 4, 2016. It was only the fourth time in program history an Ichabod had a three-homer day.
Her seven RBI tied a school record and was the first seven RBI game since Taylor Kirk had seven at Lincoln on March 3, 2018. Saturday was the eighth time an Ichabod drove in seven in a single game.
Junior Sadie Walker pitched a four-hitter in Saturday's 8-0 first-game WU win over ESU. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
In the pitcher's circle, junior Sadie Walker improved to 15-8 while scattering four hits and striking out two in the win.
Sais had two hits and a walk, reaching base in all three plate appearances.
The Hornets (30-22 overall, 10-14 MIAA) scored two runs in the top of the second inning in the second game to take the early lead.
Washburn got on the board in the fourth inning when LaBarge hit her 12th home run of the season to cut ESU's lead to 2-1.
The Ichabods (31-20, 13-11) tied the score in the sixth inning on a pinch-hit sac fly by Danielle Schlader.
The Ichabods left a pair of runners on in the seventh before ESU scored two runs to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the eighth and the Ichabods went down in the bottom of the eighth with three straight flyouts.
Sais and Boles both had three hits in the game, with LaBarge homer WU's other hit.
Walker pitched four innings in relief, allowing three hits and two earned runs in the eighth.
Senior Jordan Harrison went all eight innings for the pitching win for the Hornets, improving to 15-7.
Shortstop Sydney Wagner had three hits for ESU while Silver Lake product Taryn Burkhardt had two hits and a run batted in.
The Ichabods, the No. 6 seed, will open the MIAA Championship Tournament on Thursday at 4 p.m. when the Ichabods will face third-seeded Rogers State in Hays.
ESU will be the eighth seed and play ninth-seeded Fort Hays State on Wednesday, April 30, at 3 p.m. in Hays.
