TOPEKA, Kan. – Drury opened the Washburn Invitational on Saturday afternoon with a win against Fort Hays State and a loss to the host, Washburn.
 
GAME ONE – Drury 3, Fort Hays State 1
Riding a three-game winning streak, Drury was in search of their fourth straight win. The offenses for both teams didn't get going until the third inning. Fort Hays struck first following three singles to score the game's first run.
 
Drury did not get an offense to go until the fifth inning. Kaley Adzick doubled to right center field before being run for by Jacey Byler. The next at-bat, Reece Anderson would hit a triple, just out of the reach of the Tigers' right fielder, to score Byler.
 
Tied at one, still in the top of the fifth and Anderson on third base, Emma Niemczyk would work deep into the count and hit her first career home run to take a 3-1 lead.
 
Kaley Adzick would shut down the Tigers in the final two innings to give the Panthers a 3-1 win.
 
GAME ONE NOTES

• Drury had six hits in the game, all from six different players.
• Emma Niemczyk had two RBIs in her fifth-inning home run, her first career home run.
• Reece Anderson had the other RBI for the Panthers in her fifth inning triple. It was Anderson's first career triple.
• Kaley Adzick threw a complete game. She allowed five hits and one run. Adzick struck out six in her second win of the season.
• The win was Drury's fourth straight.
• The all-time series is now tied at three games apiece.

 
GAME TWO – Washburn 12, Drury 4 (6 inn.)
Facing one of the top teams in the region, Drury struck first against Washburn in the second inning. Haley Bryant led the inning off with a solo home run to take an early lead. The Panthers added another run on a Landry Cochran bunt single to score Gabrielle Bax, who reached via base on balls.
 
The Icabods brought the game within one run in the bottom half of the second on a fielding error from Reece Anderson.
 
After a zero in the top of the third, Washburn took the lead with a six-spot in the bottom of the third. The Icabods hit two homers as part of the six-run inning.
 
Another run in the bottom of the fourth gave Washburn an 8-2 advantage.
 
The deficit for Drury did not hinder the Panthers. In the top of the fifth, Landry Cochran doubled to lead the inning off. Cochran would score the next at-bat on an Emma Niemczyk single to right field. After Niemczyk stole third, she would score on an Isabel Ervin sac fly for Drury's final run of the game.
 
The run-rule would come into effect in the sixth inning after the Icabods scored three in the fifth and one in the sixth to win the game 12-4.
 
GAME TWO NOTES

• Landry Cochran led the Panthers with five hits. She also scored one run and had an RBI.
• Haley Bryant hit her first home run as a Panther in the loss.
• Isabel Ervin and Emma Niemczyk each had an RBI in the game.
• Jordyn Foley started in the circle; she was the pitcher of record. Foley pitched 2.1 innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, and struck out one.
• Natalie Wilks and Brie Chilton pitched out of the bullpen in the game.
• It was Chilton's college debut.

 
UP NEXT
The Panthers conclude the Washburn Invitational on Sunday morning with games against Emporia State and Northwest Missouri State.
 
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