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KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Washburn took early leads in two games Friday in the MIAA tournament but fell in a pair of offensive battles to end the year with a pair of losses. The Ichabods dropped their second round game 12-8 to second-seeded Missouri Western and then fell in an elimination game 11-7 to Fort Hays State.
The Ichabods ended the season at 27-23 with their first winning record since 2006. The Tigers (28-23) will play Saturday against the loser of the Central Missouri-Missouri Western semifinal.
2012 WU baseball at MIAA Tourney Gallery
The Ichabods took a 2-0 lead in the first innings against FHSU and led 4-0 after two innings.
Marcus Peavler had an RBI single and
Blaine Matthews had a sacrifice fly to get Washburn runs in the first inning. The Ichabods scored two runs on a three-error play in the second inning.
Richard Swan walked and then
Connor Crimmins set down a sacrifice bunt. The FHSU pitcher misplayed it for the first error and then threw it to first anyway and it went wild into right field. Swan came around to score and the throw home got away for the third error, allowing Crimmins to score.
The Tigers got on the board with two in the second and kept scoring, taking a 7-5 lead after four innings.
Brad Alberts had a solo homer in the third and an RBI triple in the sixth. He ended the year batting .377, second behind
John Calhoun, who hit .398 with a .651 slugging percentage. Calhoun's 18 doubles tied for the fifth highest single-season total and his 74 hits was the ninth highest.
Washburn reliever
Trent Speaker took the loss (2-5) after giving up three runs, one earned, in 3 1/3 innings.
The Ichabods jumped to a 3-0 lead after half an inning in the afternoon game against Missouri Western but the Griffons (34-15) answered with three in the bottom and kept adding them to hold on for the win and advance to play Central Missouri Saturday in the semifinal.
Calhoun led off the game with a single and then scored on two MWSU errors.
Tyler Bean later drove a ball into right center field with
Boone Plager on base. The Griffon center and right fielders collided en route to the ball and it rolled to the wall for an inside the park homer. The Griffons outfielders were carted off the field in stretchers after a 19-minute delay.
Missouri Western responded with three in the bottom of the inning. Michael Schulze led off with a homer to right field and then Spencer Shockley doubled in a run. One more MWSU run later scored on a Washburn error. The Griffons added five more in the third inning with the first three being charged to Washburn starter
Kerry Schachenmeyer, giving him his third loss of the year (7-3). The Griffons got six more runs off Washburn relievers to stay in control.
The Ichabods looked to come back in the sixth as they scored four runs to cut the lead to 10-8. RBI singles from Alberts, Matthews and then Swan drove in three of the runs and then Hageman later scored on a single from Calhoun and MWSU throwing error. Washburn added one more in the seventh with Bean's second homer of the game, a shot to right field that tied him with Calhoun for the team lead with nine on the year.
The Griffons added two more in the seventh as insurance. Starter Brandon Simmons (12-2) earned the win as he pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs, five earned.He struck out nine with one walk.
Washburn's two opponents committed 11 errors in the two games and still came away with wins. There were eight home runs in the games and 49 total hits to go with 38 runs.