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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's women's basketball team begins the final week of its regular season with a 5:30 p.m. home game against Northeastern State on Tuesday evening in Lee Arena.
Washburn, 12-13 overall, 10-9 in the MIAA, will be looking to get back in the win column after falling 58-53 in overtime at Northwest Missouri on Saturday while the RiverHawks are 6-20, 4-16 after going 1-1 at home last week. They defeated Newman, 64-57, before dropping their game against Central Oklahoma, 74-46.
The Ichabods posted a 61-50 win against Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Okla. on Feb. 5.
Washburn leads the all-time series with Norhteastern, 12-6, and has won six of the last seven games.
Senior Hunter Bentley moved into the No. 6 spot on Washburn's career scoring list with a 26-point game at Northwest Missouri last Saturday. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn senior standout Hunter Bentley is eighth in the MIAA in scoring with a 14.6-point scoring average and has scored 10 or more points in eight consecutive games, including four 20-plus-point games during that stretch.
After her 26- point effort at Northwest Missouri, Bentley passed Latisha Yarnell (1984-88) and moved up to No. 6 on Washburn's career scoring list. Bentley currently has 1,567 points in her time as an Ichabod.
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By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
After a series of weather delays and postponements, Washburn baseball completed its final non-conference series of the year, claiming three out of four games against Northern State University.
The Ichabods now stand at 8-4 on the year with MIAA play picking up later in the week.
Game 1 of the past series began at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan as Falley Field recovered from Thursday's snow. After falling behind 2-1 early on, the series-opening game was all Washburn, as the Ichabods posted a 10-2 win.
“It’s February in Kansas and we’re used to that a little bit,” said Washburn coach Harley Douglas. “I think this was a little bit different though because we worked all day Friday to get the six inches of snow off the ground and then went and played Saturday.”
Senior Rane Pfiefer pitched five innings, allowing only two runs, and Washburn Rural product Dalton Huggins threw three scoreless innings to follow.
Sophomore Connor Scott contributed a home run for the Ichabods as Washburn won three out of four games against Northern State. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/The Washburn Review]
Offensively senior Parker Dunn started his big weekend with three hits and three RBI. Seniors Brett Ingram and Kros Bay went deep along with sophomore Connor Scott.
“Baseball is the same game no matter where you play, that’s the greatest thing about it,” Dunn said. “You just got to be able to grind and this is a team that loves to grind.”
Game 2 was back in Topeka and was the first of a Sunday doubleheader. Dunn picked up an RBI double in the first inning, giving the Ichabods a lead they would not relinquish.
“We preach all of the time that our goal is to lead the conference in doubles and stolen bases or extra bases. So when we do that we are putting a lot of focus on how we score runs rather than how many we are scoring,” Douglas said.
Washburn pitcher Casey Steward helped the Ichabods win three out of four games with Northern State in WU's season-opening series. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/The Washburn Review]
Sophomore Casey Steward made his first career home start and allowed only four baserunners and no runs in a career-high five innings.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University's softball wasn't scheduled to play its first home games of the season until later this week, but last Thursday's snowstorm moved up that timetable.
With Emporia State's field unplayable, the Hornets' tournament was moved to Washburn Sunday and Monday.
It took considerable work to get WU's field ready, but the result was just what Brenda Holaday's team was looking for, with the Ichabods jumpstarting their season with a pair of doubleheader sweeps.
After sweeping Missouri-St. Louis on Sunday, Washburn completed their 4-0 run with 7-2 and 7-6 victories over Quincy Monday at Gahnstrom Field.
"We started off (the season) kind of rough,'' Washburn coach Brenda Holaday said. "We were 3-6 coming into the weekend and 7-6 now with four games on our home field and there were some really good moments and there were some ugly moments, but when you go 4-0 on a weekend you're happy about that.
"Our players and our coaches worked their tails off to get this field ready. We hand-scooped the whole thing and their bodies were sore to start off with yesterday so I was really glad for them to get the wins and the payoff from that.''
Former Shawnee Heights star Jaycee Ginter picked up pitching wins for Washburn in both games Monday, giving her four wins in four games over two days. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]
As was the case on Sunday, former Shawnee Heights star Jaycee Ginter was the workhorse for Washburn against 0-7 Quincy, picking up the pitching wins in both ends of the doubleheader to give her all four wins in the two-day sweep.
Ginter turned in a complete-game seven-hitter in Monday's opener while recording a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowing just one earned run.
The sophomore standout moved to center field for the second game, but was called on in relief as the Ichabods' third pitcher and worked the final three innings, giving up three hits and striking out four to pick up the victory and improve to 6-1 on the season.
Ginter had to work out of a big jam in the top of the seventh of the second game, with the tying run on third base with no outs, but Ginter proceeded to strike out the side to end the game.
"I wasn't worried,'' Ginter said. "I felt in control. I trusted my defense, I trusted everybody else to do their own job.''
Holaday said she tries to be careful not to over-use her standout right-hander, but knows she can count on Ginter in any situation.
"It is interesting,'' Holaday said. "The conference and D-II sotball in general seems to have gone to bigger pitching staffs but not so long ago there was a lot of one pitcher carried everything for them and she has that kind of heart, she has good stuff and she doesn't give in. Just like that last inning. There's a lot of pitchers in that situation give up and you know she's never going to give up. She's a champion at heart and that's who she's been.
"Our big thing is protecting her from injury. You can over-throw them too much and she missed the first couple of weeks with an injury so she's still getting her stamina back, but if the game's on the line that's who you want on the mound.''
Ginter is happy to be back in action after missing time with a concussion suffered in a practice accident and said she's feeling like her old self
"I feel like last week I kind of struggled to start but this week and during practice this week, I'm back,'' Ginter said.
Ginter said there's no limit to how much she can pitch.
"It gets tiring but you've got to do what you've got to do to help the team,'' she said.
The Ichabods took control of Monday's first game with five runs in the borrom of the first.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Elijah Brooks will try to help Topeka West wrap up the Centennial League championship Tuesday night at Highland Park. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park junior Tre Richardson scored 23 points in the Scots' 66-51 Centennial League win over Junction City last Friday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
TOPEKA WEST (17-1, 13-1) at HIGHLAND PARK (15-3, 12-2)
Highland Park will be looking to pull even with Topeka West in the Centennial League race. Highland Park remained in the league hunt with a home 66-51 romp past Junction City last Friday while Topeka West maintained its one-game lead with an 81-33 win over Emporia. Junior Sincere Austin led Topeka West, which has won 16 straight games, with 20 points against Emporia while Elijah Brooks added 15 points and Xavier Alexander 12. Junior Tre Richardson scored 23 points for Highland Park against Junction City while junior Jahmir Kingcannon added 11 points with three 3-pointers. West took a 79-67 win over Highland Park in the first meeting between the two teams.
Hayden senior Trent Duffey is coming off a career-high 32-point game in last Friday's 66-57 Centennial League win over Hayden. [File photo/TSN]
HAYDEN (5-13, 3-11) at EMPORIA (3-15, 2-12)
Hayden took a 66-57 Centennial League win over Topeka High last Friday while Emporia is coming off an 81-33 league loss at Topeka West. Senior Trent Duffey scored a career and game-high 32 points for the Wildcats against Topeka High while junior Joe Otting added 16 points. Hayden won two of three games last week, including a non-league win over Tonganoxie, with the Wildcats' lone loss a three-point overtime loss at Topeka West on Tuesday.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Atiya Gonzales scored 13 points for Highland Park in last Friday's 45-37 win over Junction City, the Scots' first Centennial League win. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
TOPEKA WEST (2-16, 2-11) at HIGHLAND PARK (3-15, 1-13)
Highland Park notched its first Centennial League victory of the season last Friday, taking a 45-37 home win over Junction City. Topeka West will be coming off a 60-19 league loss to state-ranked Emporia. Senior Aisya Taylor led Highland Park with 16 points against Junction City while senior Atiya Gonzales added 13 points and freshman Amelia Ramsey 10. Junior Azaryah Duncan scored a team-high eight points for Topeka West against Emporia.
HAYDEN (10-8, 7-7) at EMPORIA (14-4, 10-4)
State-ranked Emporia rolled to a 60-19 Centennial League win at Topeka West last Friday, while Hayden dropped a 63-54 decision to state-ranked Topeka High. Senior Carly Stuke scored a game-high 21 points for Hayden in its loss to Topeka High while senior Macy Smith added 15 points. Hayden won two of three games last week, including a non-league win over Tonganoxie and a league win over Topeka West.
Seaman sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer scored 19 points in both games last week as the Vikings knocked off state-ranked teams Topeka High and Lansing. [File photo/TSN]
SEAMAN (13-5, 11-4) at MANHATTAN (7-11, 6-8)
Seaman is coming off a huge week, knocking off No. 2 (Class 6A) Topeka High 50-42 last Tuesday in a Centennial League game and taking a 56-46 non-league win over No. 4 (Class 5A) Lansing on Friday. Sophomore Taylin Stallbaumer scored 19 points in both Seaman wins last week while Carstyn Anderson added 13 points and Anna Becker 12 in the Vikings' win over Lansing. Manhattan dropped a 54-17 league decision to Washburn Rural last Friday.
WASHBURN RURAL (16-2, 12-2) at JUNCTION CITY (2-16, 2-13)
Washburn Rural rolled to a 54-17 home Centennial League win over Manhattan last Friday while Junction City is coming offf a 45-37 league loss at Highland Park. Junior Brooklyn DeLeye paced Washburn Rural, ranked No. 3 in last week's Class 6A state rankings by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, against Manhattan with a game-high 17 points.
Topeka High junior Kiki Smith (right) and Washburn Rural senior Emma Krueger have helped their teams combine for a 33-3 record this season. [File photo/TSN]
BISHOP MIEGE (16-2) at TOPEKA HIGH (17-1)
Two of the state's best teams meet for the second straight year in a non-league contest. Topeka High beat Hayden 63-54 last Friday night at Hayden while Bishop Miege is coming off a 52-39 win over defending Class 5A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas. Junior Kiki Smith paced Topeka High with 20 points against Hayden while senior Tae Thomas added 15 points and Faith Shields 11.
