The Washburn Ichabods Softball Team played a doubleheader against Central Oklahoma Saturday, April 18. The team won the first game after overtime taking a 14-5 win in nine innings before falling 6-1. Washburn plays two more games in the regular season against Missouri Western on Friday, April 24, and against Northwest Misssouri on Saturday, April 25. The Ichabods currently sit in sixth place according to MIAA standings. The top eight teams will qualify for a postseason tournament in Kansas City.

The Ichabods had nine runs in the ninth inning and sent 12 batters to the plate, winning 14-5 against the Bronchos. Junior catcher Kristen Bell started the inning batting and hit a ball into center field followed by another single from junior infielder Taylor Zimmerman. When junior infielder Sierra Kemp was hit with a pitch loading the bases, sophomore catcher/utility, Megan Stegman hit a single with 2 RBI.

Freshman third base/shortstop, Cassidy Merriman’s single drove in Stegman, while sophomore outfielder, Jordan Erickson’s single brought Merriman home. Bell was later hit by a pitch with two outs and Zimmerman cleared the bases with a 3-run homer pulling Washburn’s score up to 14-5.

Senior pitcher/infielder Lauren Thimmesch, won her 19th game of the season. Her 19 wins are the most recorded by an Ichabod pitcher since Kelly Swygert’s 20 recorded in 2006. After the Bronchos were up 5-3 in the fourth, Washburn tied the score with a 2-RBI single from Zimmerman which scored junior outfielder Haylee Marsteller and Bell. Neither team scored in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings setting up a spot for Washburn’s ninth batter.

Quimby and Zimmerman finished the game with three hits each. Zimmerman drove five in during the game. Thimmesch finished with 3 RBI. Quimby, Thimmesch and Erickson each tied records with six bats in the game before the 24th, 25th, and 26th Washburn players to have six bats in a game.

In game two, Washburn was scoreless until a home run was made by Marsteller in the seventh inning, who recorded five hits and five strikeouts in the Bronchos win. UCO scored one in the first inning, opening the game with five runs in the fourth inning, which brought their score up to 6-0. Junior pitcher Taylor Kemp gave up nine hits and struck out two in the loss.

Marsteller and Quimby finished with four hits each. Merriman, Zimmerman and Thimmesch had three a piece and Quimby added three doubles. Zimmerman finished the game with 5 RBI and Thimmesch finished with three.