The Washburn softball team played Monday, April 1 at Hummer Sports Park for an MIAA doubleheader matchup with the Pittsburg State Gorillas. Washburn executed on defense and in the circle to take game one 3-0 and found more offense in game two to sweep the doubleheader, 8-3.

Game one was a pitching clinic from sophomore Raegan Hamm. She scattered three hits throughout the game without giving up a run and walking only one. The Gorillas led off the first two innings with hits but didn’t advance either runner further than second base.

Hamm retired 20 of the final 22 batters she faced in a complete game effort.

“Just attack batters as soon as I get out there and go right at them,” said Hamm. “They were struggling with my screwball and it just continued to work them off and I had a fantastic defense behind me. They all made plays all day long.”

Washburn opened the scoring quickly in the first when junior Brianna Fuchs tripled into the right-center gap. Senior Savannah Moore promptly shot a ball toward third base that was bobbled and allowed the run to score. The play was deemed an error therefore the run was unearned.

There wasn’t much traffic on the bases for the Ichabods until the bottom of the sixth.

Junior Winter Henry got the ball rolling with single down the left field line. After a flyout, freshman Kameron Kissinger stung a ball into right-center that scored the run and ended with Kissinger standing on third base.

Bri Francis followed up with a sharp single up the middle off the second basemen’s glove to make it 3-0.

The extra two runs of support were all Hamm needed to finish off the Gorillas in the seventh.

The bats got going early in game two for the Ichbaods. The first three batters reached and loaded the bases with no one out. Senior Taylor Kirk kept the line moving with a single up the middle, scoring two runs.

After a fielder choice, freshman Maddie Stipsits also singled up the middle to score another run.

Francis added a single of her own to right field, knocking in two more runs to send the Ichabods to an early 5-0 lead.

Kirk stayed with her up the middle approach in the bottom of the second to score Henry from third who had tripled earlier in the inning.

The Washburn starter in the circle was freshman Bailey Zuniga who went 5 1/3 innings giving up three runs on nine hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

Zuniga only found trouble in the third and sixth innings when she surrendered her runs.

Kirk tacked on another run in the fourth with a home run to center to stretch the lead to 7-2.

“I was just looking to start something for the inning,” said Kirk. “I originally told the batter before me that it was going to be her then me, but she popped out, so I was just looking for something to get the inning going.”

Washburn added one more run in the sixth on an error to make the score 8-3 headed to the seventh. Hamm came on in relief of Zuniga during the sixth and pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to finish off the Ichabods third straight win.

With the two wins, Washburn improved their record to 17-17 overall and 8-2 in the MIAA. They will be back in action at 3 p.m. Friday, April 5 in Warrensburg, Missouri, for a doubleheader with Central Missouri.