Kirk's Homer Another Walk-off Win

From the Capital Journal:

WASHBURN 8-4, SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 0-3

On most days, it would have been a no-doubter coming off Taylor Kirk’s bat.

But given the extreme wind conditions, the Washburn junior wasn’t sure her shot to dead-center in the bottom of the eighth of Friday’s second game with Southwest Baptist had enough to leave the park.

“Off the bat, I knew I’d centered it up pretty well,” Kirk said. “We’ve really fought the wind the past several games and just seeing it go up in the air kind of scared me. I was like, ‘Please wind, do not hold this back.’”

The wind was just calm enough that Kirk’s shot cleared the fence, giving the Ichabods a 4-3 come-from-behind win in eight innings and a sweep of the visiting Bearcats. Washburn didn’t need any late-inning drama in the opener, riding a one-hitter from starter Megan Deiter to an 8-0 win in five innings.

After having its 17-game MIAA winning streak snapped on Thursday with a loss to Central Missouri in the second game of their doubleheader, Washburn was in serious danger of seeing the nightcap of Friday’s twinbill also get away.

Baptist starting pitcher Claire Miller left the game with an injury three batters into the second game, but Bearcat reliever Kaylee Schmidli was more than a capable fill-in, keeping Washburn off-balance for much of the game.

Alyssa Carney managed an RBI single off Schmidli in the first inning to match the run Baptist had scored in the top half of the inning, but over the next four innings, Schmidli held Washburn hitless and retired the side in order twice.

“We pressed a little bit yesterday too,” Washburn coach Brenda Holaday said. “These are all good teams and I think maybe the kids are over-trying a little bit at this point. ... We weren’t quite clicking on all cylinders, but I really love the fight of this team. They don’t ever believe they’re out of it and they have that mentality that they’re gonna come back and that gives you a chance to win.”

Down 3-1 going into the sixth, Washburn finally got to Schmidli. Savannah Moore drew a leadoff walk and Carney delivered a one-out single. Kirk then laid down a bunt that scored Moore and pinch-hitter Lenae Salinas followed with a grounder to tie the game 3-3.

Washburn left the bases loaded, and after a scoreless seventh and top of the eighth, Kirk ended it with her solo shot to center.

“It was definitely a little frustrating and everyone was a little anxious going up to the plate,” Kirk said. “We just needed someone to sit back and drive a ball to get everything started. It definitely went a lot better at the end.”

A native of Rossville, Kirk saw plenty of current teammate Deiter, a Silver Lake product, during their high school days. Now on the same team, she likes what she sees out of her former rival a lot more than she did then.

And what’s not to like. After setting Washburn’s single-season strikeout record in Thursday’s win over Central Missouri, Deiter came back against Baptist and allowed just a first-inning single to the Bearcats.

Deiter finished with six strikeouts and walked two.

“It’s so much better being on this side of it,” Kirk said. “I played with her last year at Johnson (County Community College) and (it’s) so fun being behind her and being part of her support system.”

Washburn gave Deiter all the support she needed with a four-run second inning. Lexie Myers and Emilee Baker each had RBI singles while Ashley Ruder was hit with the bases loaded and Moore drew a bases-loaded walk.

A double steal plated another run in the fourth and Myers delivered a two-run double in the fifth before Sam Stallbaumer laced a walkoff single. Washburn improved to 36-9 overall and 20-2 in MIAA play with the sweep.

“We didn’t play our best softball all week, but we played good and we played tough,” Holaday said. “Our pitching was nails and the kids hung in there and did the little things. ... When you can play six games in four days and come out 5-1 against that quality of competition, you’re doing something right.”

In game one of the double header,  Taylor scored 2 runs on 3 walks which registered as 0 at bats.
In game two Taylor had 2 hits, 2 RBIs, and 1 run.  The first hit was a bunt single that scored a run and her second hit was a solo homer in the bottom of the 8th inning to give WU the 4-3  win.