By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After being swept by No. 3-ranked Rogers State and being no-hit for the first time in 478 games on Friday, Washburn University softball still didnt pick up a ton of hits on Saturday at Gahnstrom Field.
Senior Marrit Mead makes contact on her record-setting hit in Washburn's 3-0 second-game win over Northeastern State Saturday at Gahnstrom Field. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Marrit Mead is congratulated by Washburn third base coach Taylor Zordel after setting WU's career hit record with her 259th hit in the fifth inning of the Ichabods' 3-0 second-game win over Northeastern State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But the Ichabods came up with the big hits, including a milestone moment for senior Marrit Mead, as Washburn bounced back from Friday's losses to earn a 2-1, 3-0 MIAA sweep over Northeastern State.
Third baseman Mead, a former Santa Fe Trail star, tied Washburn's all-time hit record on Friday against Rogers State and took over the top spot by herself when she beat out an infield hit for her 259th career hit in the fifth inning of Saturday's second game.
Mead said she didn't realize she was on the verge of history this weekend.
"I knew coming into the season I was close but I haven't been tracking it game by game or anything like that,'' Mead said. "It's good to get it out of the way and know that it happened, but there's a lot of season left so hopefully a lot more hits to come, too.''
Mead said the hit record is something she'll probably come to appreciate more in the years to come after her playing days are behind her.
"I think it's something that right now it's such a great honor to have but you don't realize it because you're still playing and you're still doing all the things,'' Mead said. "Later it will hit you and you'll be like, 'Wow, I did that.' ''
The Ichabods scored two runs in the fifth after Ellington Hogle started the inning with a walk and then Mead's record-breaking single sent Hogle all the way around the bases as Mead would beat the throw and advance to third on a throwing error by Northeastern State. Jaden LaBarge's groundout scored Mead as Washburn went up 2-0.
The Ichabods added another run in the sixth when Mariah Wheeler collected her second home run of the season, pushing the lead to 3-0.
Saturday's first game remained scoreless until the fifth when the RiverHawks (5-18 overall, 0-6 MIAA) scored the first run on a double to left-center by Emily Sampson that scored Allison Zanca, who doubled earlier in the inning.
But Washburn (23-9, 4-4) got a big lift from Silver Lake product Hogle in the bottom of the inning when the junior outfielder sent a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence to knot the score at 1-1.
In the top of the sixth, WU sophomore pitcher Sadie Walker, who had come on in relief of Jaycee Ginter in the fourth, struck out the side and in bottom of the inning, Washburn took the 2-1 lead when Alexis Tanguma singled through the left side with two outs and Autymn Schreiner doubled down the left-field line, scoring Tanguma from first with the game-winning run.
Walker then shut down the RiverHawks in the top of the seventh to pick up the win while striking out six. Ginter, who pitched the first 32/3 innings, allowed one hit and also struck out six.
Tanguma had three of Washburn's seven hits in the opener while Hogle had two hits.
The pitching duo of Ginter and Walker limited the RiverHawks to three hits in the nightcap.
Walker, a Holton product, picked up the pitching victory in both games, improving to 13-5 on the season.
Wheeler had two of Washburn's four hits in the second-game win.
Washburn coach Brenda Holaday said it was important for her team, which had four hits in the nightcap and 11 on the day, to get the sweep after Friday's struggles.
"I just got done telling the kids that everybody who plays this game, you go through times when the game's harder than other times,'' Holaday said. "And when you're struggling a little bit in some areas in this conference and come away with two wins you have to appreciate that.
"We can appreciate it because we pitched really well and we had some timely hits, but we didn't have a lot of them and we had to make the most out of them. You don't ever want to lose but you just want to go out and play your best and I think our kids got tested in some ways that will push us to improve.''
Washburn will be back on the road with games at Central Missouri on March 22 and at Lincoln the following day.
First game
WASHBURN 2, NORTHEASTERN STATE 1
Northeastern 000 010 0 -- 1 4 0
Washburn 000 011 x -- 2 7 0
Heinle and Sampson. Ginter, Walker (4) and Wagner, Moore. W -- Walker (12-5). L -- Heinle (5-9). 2B -- Northeastern State: Zanca, Sampson. Washburn: Ginter, Tanguma, Schreiner. HR -- Washburn: Hogle.
Second game
WASHBURN 3, NORTHEASTERN STATE 0
Northeastern (5-18, 0-6) 000 000 0 -- 0 3 1
Washburn (23-9, 4-4) 000 021 x -- 3 4 1
Tindel and Sampson. Ginter, Walker (4) and Moore. W -- Walker (13-5). L -- Tindel (0-5). 2B -- Northeastern State: Zanca 2. Washburn: Wheeler. HR -- Washburn: Wheeler.
