After a long and grueling last week, the Washington softball team picked up a pair of important wins last night in a home doubleheader sweep of Keokuk by 3-2 and 7-0 scores.

As heard on KCII, game one saw both pitchers go back and forth on the hot evening with Bella Salazar and Ada Wood in a duel. Tied 2-2 in the sixth, Kendall Hinrichsen had the game’s biggest hit with a two out knock to centerfield that scored her twin sister Lauren. The Chiefs (4-12, 2-5) did not go down quietly in the seventh by putting a pair of runners on at the corners, but a hard hit ball to shortstop was stopped by Kendall Hinrichsen and she fired to first just in time for the victory. Washington scattered five hits with Leighton Salazar going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Bella Salazar tossed the complete game in 97 pitches surrendering two earned runs on six hits and striking out five. 

The nightcap saw the Demons build a 3-0 lead when they took advantage of a couple Keokuk miscues in the sixth to break the game open with four more tallies. Halle Cuddeback was in complete control on the rubber pitching all seven frames in the shutout giving up just four hits and walking three with six punch outs. The offense had 10 knocks with Leighton Salazar and Ella Greiner each going 3-for-4 with two RBI. 

Head Coach Ben Obermann tells KCII Sports his team just keeps plugging away and it paid off. “If you commit to the process and continue to do the little things you are going to get rewarded. We did that tonight, especially going up against Ada Wood who is one of the top pitcher’s in the league. We did enough offensively and got a big hit from Hinrichsen in the nine spot, but tonight was the pitching and defense show for us.”

Washington improves to 6-14 and at the halfway point of the SEC season they have a 4-6 league mark. The Demons travel to Centerville on Wednesday.