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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Despite a rash of injuries, most notably in its pitching staff, the Washburn University baseball team has been able to avoid any lengthy losing skids, with the Ichabods losing no more than two games in a row since mid-February.
Washburn shortstop Jett Buck salutes the Ichabod bench while rounding the bases on his sixth home run of the season. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Jett Buck (16) went 3 fof 3 with four RBI in Washburn's 15-7 MIAA win over Rogers State Saturday at Falley Field. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But the Ichabods have also struggled to put together any prolonged hot streaks, with WU winning no more than two straight games over its past 11 contests.
Needing a big end to the regular season to help its MIAA Tournament seeding and its shot at an NCAA Regional berth, Washburn coach Harley Douglas is hopeful that Saturday's offensive explosion at Falley Field is the start of a finishing flourish.
Washburn scored four runs in the first inning and tallied 16 hits in the game to top Rogers State 15-7 in the rubber match of the series, with the Ichabods improving to 18-14 overall and 12-8 in the MIAA.
"We have four or five arms (pitchers) that are 88 to 91 (mile per hour) guys that have went down on us and when you get that you've got to get the next guys to step up and I think some of them had to step up earlier than what they anticipated or earlier than they were ready so it was kind of a tough one for them,'' Douglas said.
"But we're finally starting to figure it out. We didn't allow a lot of runs this weekend and we did a really good job of executing and pitching the way we needed to and when you can do that it's going to give you a chance in any game.''
Now the key for the Ichabods is to continue to make strides.
"I like where we're at right now,'' Douglas said. "I think we can make a run because we have teams that are below us that we need to take care of business against and we need to.
"We feel pretty comfortable with where we're at conference-wise but we'd like to host our first-round tournament setup and then we would obviously like to be in the regional conversation and to do that you've got to get to 30 wins, you've got to be one of the top three or four teams in this conference. That's something that's important to us.''
The Hillcats (17-14 overall, 9-11 MIAA) jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the first inning, but Washburn answered with a four-run bottom of the first and never trailed again.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's a given that teams always want to score more runs.
But with the way Washburn University's Sadie Walker and Jaycee Ginter are pitching, Ichabod coach Brenda Holaday also knows that it's probably not going to take a bushel full of runs to get the job done.
Washburn sophomore left-hander Sadie Walker threw her second no-hitter of the season Saturday in the Ichabods' 1-0 win over Missouri Western. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Washburn senior Jaycee Ginter threw a three-hitter and struck out 12 for the second straight day in the Ichabods' 2-0 win over Missouri Western. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
No. 24-ranked Washburn scored just three runs in Saturday's MIAA doubleheader against Missouri Western, but those three runs were enough to push the Ichabods' winning streak to seven games with 1-0 and 2-0 wins at Gahnstrom Field.
"It's kind of who we are as a team,'' Holaday said. "We've got two really quality pitchers and we've got a good defense. We have hits up and down the lineup but we're having some struggles stringing them together.
"A lot of that's credit to who we're playing. They have good pitchers, too, but I was comfortable this weekend. I felt like our pitchers were really dominant and if we could scratch across a couple of runs we'd have a good chance to win. I was really proud of the way our kids played this weekend and the four wins were big for us.''
In the opener, Holton sophomore Walker tossed the first seven-inning complete-game no-hitter since 2021 when Ginter pitched a no-no against Fort Hays State. Walker struck out 10 and improved to 17-5 on the season while facing just one above the minimum batters in the win.
"Honestly I didn't realize it was a no-hitter until it was probably one out into the last inning,'' Walker said. "I had two more outs to go and I was like, 'Well, we'll see what happens.'
"Obviously I wanted to get the no-hitter but at the end of the day I just wanted to shut them down.''
Shawnee Heights product Ginter (14-5) followed Walker's dominating performance with one of her own, twirling a three-hitter while striking out 12 batters for the second straight day.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University softball team used a pair of strong pitching performances from Sadie Walker and Jaycee Ginter to a doubleheader sweep over Northwest Missouri on Friday at Gahnstrom Field, winning 3-1 and 6-0.
Senior Jaycee Ginter threw a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts and hit a three-run home run in Friday's 6-0 Washburn win over Northwest Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Sophomore Sadie Walker picked up the pitching win in Washburn's 3-1 first-game victory over Northwest Missouri on Friday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods will wrap up the weekend with a Saturday home twinbill against Missouri Western starting at 12 p.m.
Walker, a sophomore, went the distance in the opener striking out five allowing seven hits and one earned run while Ginter, a senior, threw a three-hitter in the second game while recording 12 strikeouts and hitting a three-run home run.
The Bearcats took the early lead in the top of the third of the opener after a single and triple but Washburn knotted the score in the fourth taking advantage of a pair of Bearcat errors.
Alexis Tanguma started things off with a single and after Gracie Gallagher entered as a pinch runner, Ginter's sac bunt moved Gallagher to second. After Autymn Schreiner reached on a throwing error, Jaden LaBarge also reached on a throwing error, scoring Gallagher to tie the score.
In the fifth, the Ichabods' Erin Boles singled to left and then moved to second after the Bearcats (16-18 overall, 5-5 MIAA) committed their third error of the game. After Tanguma reached on a single to deep shortstop, Ginter drove in Boles with a sac fly as the Ichabods went up 2-1.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After losing the bulk of its pitching staff from the 2023 season, Washburn Rural baseball coach Jay Mastin had to turn to several players to fill those holes, including senior left-hander Colin Redeker, who has taken full advantage of that opportunity.
Washburn Rural senior Colin Redeker threw a two-hitter and struck out 11 hitters as the Junior Blues earned a split with a 4-0 win over Seaman on Friday at Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
After winning his first start of the season, Redeker improved to 2-0 on Friday with a dominating performance against Seaman as the Junior Blues earned a home doubleheader split with a 4-0 second-game win after Seaman took a 12-6 win in the opener.
Redeker twirled a two-hitter on Friday while recording 11 strikeouts and not allowing a walk as Washburn Rural (3-4) handed perennial Class 5A power Seaman its first loss of the year.
"I think the key today was just keeping the ball down and taking away the big hits, eliminating that, and letting my curve ball work from there,'' Redeker said.
Redeker has primarily played outfield in his Washburn Rural career, but said he's enjoying the opportunity to get the ball for the Junior Blues.
"I love pitching, I love it,'' Redeker said.
Redeker set the tone early on, striking out two Vikings in each of the first two innings and then striking out the side in the third.
Redeker struck out another Seaman hitter in the fourth and struck out the side for the second time in the sixth.
"He was in the zone, he was dealing tonight,'' Mastin said of Redeker. "I think he threw 80 pitches so you can't ask for anything more than that. He was very efficient tonight.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball opened a three-game MIAA series with Rogers State on Thursday at Falley Field, and after falling behind 2-0, it was all Ichabods the rest of the way as WU topped the Hillcats 12-2 in eight innings while pounding out 16 hits in the win.
Payton McHarg had two homers and a double in Thursday's 12-2 MIAA win over Rogers State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Caden Bressler went six innings to pick up the pitching win in Washburn's 12-2 MIAA win over Rogers State on Thursday. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Ichabod starter Caden Bressler improved to 3-2 on the season, striking out four. After hitting a pair of Hillcats in the first inning, who both came around to score on sac flies, he allowed only three hits the rest of the way in his six-inning stint.
After Rogers State (16-13 overall, 8-10 MIAA) took the early lead, the Ichabods came back with three runs in the first, three more in the second and added two additional runs in the third to open up an 8-2 advantage.
In the first inning, Payton McHarg took a 2-2 pitch over the right-field fence leading off the inning.
After singles by Cash Jay and Hayden Priest, Jay scored on of the Hillcats' three errors on the afternoon. Jett Buck doubled down the left-field line, scoring Priest as Washburn plated three in its first at bat.
