By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University softball improved to 16-3 on the season Saturday with run-rule victories over Minnesota State-Mankato and Drury on the second day of the Washburn Invitational at Gahnstrom Field.
Former Manhattan standout Kierra Goos delivers a three-run home run in Saturday's 15-2 Washburn win over Minnesota State-Mankato. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn junior Kierra Goos receives congratulations from Ichabod third-base coach Taylor Zordel on her three-run home run in Saturday's 15-2 win over Minnesota State-Mankato. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn wraps up the final day of the event on Sunday, facing Minnesota State-Crookston at 1 p.m. as games at all three sites have been pushed back one hour to allow for warmer temperatures.
Washburn opened Saturday with a 15-2 five-inning victory over Minnesota State-Mankato before taking a 12-4 six-inning win over Drury in its second game of the day.
The Ichabods erupted for nine runs against Minnesota State-Mankato in the second inning and finished with 15 runs on 10 hits, drawing six walks, scoring in four of the five innings and blasting three home.
Minnesota State was limited to just three hits and struck out seven times against Washburn pitching.
Washburn sophomore Makenzie Sais steals a base in the Ichabods' 15-2 win over Minnesota State Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn struck first in the first inning as sophomore second baseman Dalaney Anderson singled to center field to score sophomore center-fielder Makenzie Sais, who drew a walk and stole second.
After the Mavericks tied the game on a solo home run in the second, the Ichabods answered with a nine-spot in the bottom of the inning, turned the game into a rout.
Sais delivered a two-run double down the left-field line before freshman right-fielder Taylor Brees followed with a two-run single to center.
Senior first baseman Kate Ediger added a two-run single and junior designated player Kierra Goos capped the outburst with a three-run homer to left-center field, pushing the Ichabod lead to 10-1.
Washburn added two more in the third when sophomore catcher Madi Moore hit a two-run home run to left field, scoring Anderson, who had doubled.
In the fourth inning sophomore pinch-hitter Kate Dolan delivered a three-run homer to left to make it a 15-1 game.
Anderson went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and a run batted in while Goos drove in three runs with her home run and Dolan also had three RBI on her round-tripper.
Sais finished with two RBI and two runs scored and Brees, Ediger and Moore tallied two RBI as Washburn's lineup produced 15 RBI on 10 hits.
Senior pitcher Sadie Walker allowed one run on two hits over two innings with three strikeouts before senior Jenna Sprague came on and earned the win in relief, tossing three innings and giving up just one run on one hit while striking out four.
The Ichabods erupted for six runs in the third inning on the way to a 12-4 six-inning victory over Drury in its second game of the day.
Senior Kate Ediger hit a three-run homer in Saturday's 12-4 Washburn win over Drury. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn's offense came alive in the bottom of the third when Anderson tied the game with a run-scoring single before Ediger blew the game open with a three-run homer to center.
Moments later, sophomore shortstop Maddie McGee added a two-run blast, capping a six-run, six-hit inning that put Washburn in control, 7-2.
Anderson continued her strong day with RBI hits in the fifth and sixth innings, finishing 3 for 5 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Ediger drove in three runs, while McGee scored two runs and drew two walks with a hit.
Shawnee Heights product Brees recorded a triple, an RBI and two runs scored as Washburn totaled 11 hits and 10 walks in the victory.
Junior third baseman Aspen Burgardt, a former Seaman standout, added two hits, including a double during Washburn's big third inning.
In the circle, Washburn received strong relief pitching.
Junior Jalin Lavers earned the win after tossing three innings while Sprague closed the final two scoreless frames.
Drury was led by Landry Cochran's three hits and an RBI, while Haley Bryant provided an early spark with a solo home run in the second.
Drury briefly took a 2-0 lead before Washburn stormed back.
Washburn added three insurance runs in the fifth, including an RBI single by Brees and a sacrifice fly from Moore, before Anderson's RBI in the sixth sealed the 12-4 run-rule decision.
