TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State played 19 innings of softball Friday and earned an MIAA split with Washburn. The RiverHawks got a solo home run from
Savannah Evans in the eighth to win on a walk-off 4-3 in the opener. In the nightcap, Washburn downed NSU 7-5 in an 11-inning marathon.
Addy Wolfe broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with her 13th home run of the season, scoring two runs for NSU. Washburn opened the seventh with a batter reaching on a hit-by-pitch, and after a fielder's choice, a throwing error allowed the tying run to reach. The Ichabods took advantage, scoring an unearned run and pulled even on a sac fly.
After a scoreless top of the eighth, Evans leadoff the inning by blasting an opposite-field shot to right for the win on a 2-0 pitch. Evans had two of the RiverHawks' six hits and earned the win in the circle moving to 10-10.
In the nightcap, the game remained scoreless until the sixth inning, when both teams hung threes on the scoreboard. Wolfe tied the game on the first pitch of her at-bat, hitting her second homer of the doubleheader.
The game remained tied for another four innings, where Washburn broke the stalemate with a four-run 11th. NSU fought back in the bottom half after a Wolfe leadoff single;
Emily Sampson blasted a no-doubt homer to center to cut the deficit in half. Washburn walked the next two batters, and a passed ball moved the tying run up a bag. Following a pop-up for the first out of the inning, the Ichabods issued its third walk to load the bases.
Washburn (34-12, 13-9 MIAA) worked itself out of the jam and got the second out on their tenth strikeout of the night, with the final out being a fly ball in foul territory.
Chloe Bohuslavicky, Sampson, and Wolfe had two hits for the RiverHawks.
Northeastern State closes its home slate Saturday with Emporia State at 1 p.m.
