By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod softball team split an MIAA doubleheader with No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma Friday at Gahnstrom Field, rallying from a six-run deficit in the nightcap for a come-from-behind win.
Washburn softball celebrates Friday night after rallying from a 6-0 first-inning deficit to take a 10-7 win over No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
After taking a tough 3-2 loss in the opener, Washburn trailed 6-0 after the top of the first in the second game before battling back behind three home runs, including a Jaden LaBarge grand slam, for a 10-7 win over the Bronchos.
The victory secured Washburn's 20th 30-win season and sixth under Ichabod coach Brenda Holaday while WU posted its first win over UCO since a 5-1 win over the Bronchos on April 20, 2019 in Edmond, snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Bronchos.
"First of all, UCO is an incredible program and incredible team,'' Holaday said. "They're No. 5 in the nation for a reason, so to play really good ball against them all day long was really good for us. I thought (pitcher) Sadie Walker was as good as she's been all year long and up and down our lineup we had a lot of kids with big hits for us and when you can share the load you've got a chance to win.
"When you get down 6-0 to a team like that it takes a lot of mettle to come back and I'm just really proud of the fight of the kids.''
In the opener, the Ichabods took the early lead with a solo run in their first at bat when Alexis Tangma doubled to score Ellington Hogle, who walked to lead off the inning.
UCO knotted the score in the fourth with a solo run and took the lead in the fifth, taking advantage of two Ichabod errors to scoring two unearned runs.
In the sixth and seventh innings, Washburn stranded two in each inning but could not push across a run, coming up one run shy.
Washburn out-hit the Bronchos 9-8 in the opener as Tanguma collected three hits while Hogle and LaBarge both had two hits.
Walker turned in a strong pitching performance for Washburn, striking out six Bronchos and giving up just one earned run.
After falling behind 6-0 in the first inning of the nightcap as the Bronchos (41-8 overall, 18-4 MIAA) sent 12 batters to plate, the Ichabods (30-19, 12-10) came back with two runs of their own as LaBarge picked up a two-out single, scoring both Hogle and Makenzie Sais, who singled to start the inning.
Neither team scored again until the third inning when UCO added a run to take a 7-2 lead.
Washburn cut the lead to 7-6 in the bottom of the inning when LaBarge cleared the bases with her grand slam to center, scoring Ashlyn Gaughan, Kaylee Wagner and Erin Boles.
Washburn freshman Kate Dolan is mobbed by her teammates after hitting the first home run of her collegiate career in Friday's 10-7 MIAA win over No. 5-ranked UCO. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
In the fourth, Washburn took the lead at 8-7 after a two-run homer from Wagner, and in its next at bat, Washburn added two more insurance runs when freshman Kate Dolan collected her first collegiate home run with an opposite field shot with two outs on a 1-2 pitch.
Washburn junior Sadie Walker gave up just one earned run in nine innings in Friday's twinbill split with No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Walker pitched two scoreless innings of relief for her third save of the season after replacing winning pitcher Jenna Sprague, who improved to 8-6 after tossing 42/3 innings in relief.
The Ichabods outhit the Bronchos 13-10 in the second game as Hogle led the Ichabod attack with three hits and Tanguma, Wagner, Boles and LaBarge all had two.
LaBarge tallied a career-high-tying six RBI while Wagner and Dolan each drove in two runs.
Washburn will wrap up the regular season on April 26 hosting Emporia State.
