By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No. 23-ranked Washburn University softball wrapped up the home slate with a doubleheader sweep over Missouri Southern Saturday at Gahnstrom Field, winning 8-3 and 3-0.
Washburn seniors Sheyenne Creek, Hailey Neira, Marrit Mead, Jaycee Ginter and Autymn Schreiner were honored between games of Saturday's doubleheader sweep over Missouri Southern. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn will now have a two week break from game action as they will not return to the field until April 27 when the Ichabods close out the regular season at Emporia State.
The MIAA Championships Tournament will start on Wednesday, May 1 in Edmond, Oklahoma hosted by Central Oklahoma.
The Lions took a 3-0 first-game lead through four and a half innings, but the Ichabods rallied with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning while running through four Missouri Southern pitchers and sending a total of nine batters to the plate en route to the 6-3 lead.
Mariah Walker walked on four straight pitches to start the inning and then, after the first pitching change for the Lions, Autymn Shreiner drew a four-pitch walk.
After back-to-back wild pitches, with the second scoring Gracie Gallagher with the Ichabods' first run of the day, Madi Moore walked, sending another Lion pitcher to the circle.
Hailey Neira put down a punt that loaded the bases and then Erin Boles singled to moving the runners up 60 feet.
On the very next pitch, Marrit Mead singled in a run, forcing the third Lion pitcher of the inning to enter the game.
Alexis Tanguma then followed with a single to score Neira and then Jaycee Ginter singled in two runs, finishing the scoring in the inning.
Washburn added two more runs in the sixth after Moore was hit by a pitch and Neira walked to bring in the Lions' fifth pitcher of the game.
Mead then singled to load the bases, and after a wild pitch, Moore scored and a sac fly from Tanguma put the Ichabods up 8-3 after Neira scored on the play.
The Lions were able to put two on in the top of the seventh, but Sadie Walker's eighth strikeout of the game closed out the win as she improved to 20-6 in the circle.
Mead led the Ichabods with three of Washburn's seven hits and Tanguma and Ginter each had two RBI in the game.
Washburn (36-12 overall, 17-7 in the MIAA) scored solo runs in the second, third and fifth innings to earn a 3-0 win and sweep the doubleheader.
Washburn's first run of the nightcap came on an RBI double from Boles that scored Ginter from second after she reached on a walk.
In the third, Neira led off the inning with a single before Mead's single to center moved Neira to second. Neira scored on Tanguma's ground out as Washburn went up 2-0.
Washburn's final run came in the fifth when Moore started things off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Neira.
Mead, Washburn's all-time leader in doubles, connected on her 59th career double in her final home at bat, sending Gallagher home after she entered as a pinch runner.
Ginter shut down the Lions in the seventh picking up her eighth strikeout in the process as she moved to 16-6 on the season while scattering four hits in the win.
Mead had two hits in the game.
