The Washburn softball team (17-17, 7-9) returned to action over the weekend for a four-game homestand after playing the last 11 away.

Continuing MIAA play on Friday, the Ichabods swept the Jennies from the University of Central Missouri, snapping their six game win streak, followed by a two-game dual on April 1 against Southwest Baptist University, with Washburn dropping only one game to the Bearcats.

Things got off to a great start on Friday for the Ichabods as junior pitcher Samantha Carson was able to limit Central Missouri to only two hits in the first game. After committing 10 errors in the last four games, Washburn’s defense proved to be the key, producing no errors in the 2-1 win.

The Jennies had a runner on third who advanced in the first inning from an early walk. With one out, first baseman Lexie Myers would make a great defensive play denying a hard ground ball from escaping the infield, keeping the game scoreless.

With Carson taking a no-hit bid into the fifth inning, the score at 0-0, the Jennies got their first hit on a solo home run.

Down 1-0 the Ichabods kept their composure, taking the lead back for good in the bottom of the sixth.

Game two showed a bit of the same dominance for Washburn as pitching and defense were solid again. Pitcher Ashley Wills picked up her seventh win, throwing a complete game allowing only one run while the offense came with some early support in the first inning. Back-to-back singles by Ashley Ruder and Megan Stegman allowed for Cassidy Merriman’s RBI double. Stegman scored on a hard groundout by Taylor Zimmerman pushing the Bods lead to 2-0. Sierra Kemp’s sac fly pushed Merriman across home for the third Ichabod run.

After giving up 25 runs in the two previous games, Washburn only gave up two in two games on Friday. Again Central Missouri earned their only score in the third inning. Merriman would score the final run for the Bods in that same inning, making the sweep final with a score of 4-1.

Big innings came to haunt the Ichabods on Saturday as they dropped the first game to Southwest Baptist 13-6. The Bearcats would score five or more runs in two innings making a comeback more difficult. However with the score 12-0, the Bods did show some fight in the fifth scoring five runs.

Senior Haylee Marsteller scored on Ashley Ruder’s single as both Myers sisters added two more runs on Megan Stegman’s single and Cassisdy Merriman’s walk. Marina Quimby double knocked in both Stegman and Merriman to continue the momentum and cutting into the deficit 12-5. Washburn would score only one more time dropping the game with a final score of 13-6. They would get back on track the second game demolishing the Bearcats 10-1. Merriman put the Ichabods up 2-0 in the first inning with her 2-run blast. They would take a 4-1 lead after Haylee Marsteller hit a 2-run shot of her own in th next inning.

In the third inning two straight wild pitches for the Bearcats would send Stegman home pushing the Bods lead 5-1. The next inning featured five runs on six hits with Marsteller continuing her big game with another 2-run home run collecting her fourth RBI of the game. Merriman would hit her eighth home run of the season, her fourth RBI of the game, as well. WU pitcher Ashley Wills picked up her eight win of the season allowing only one run in five innings.

Washburn will continue action on the road Friday for a two game MIAA series against the University of Nebraska at Kearney at 5 p.m.