Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (xml)
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (html)
Season Statistics
 
EDMOND, Okla. – David Gauntt hit his second home run of the day and then Washburn scored three runs in a wild eighth inning to beat Central Oklahoma 5-4 Thursday afternoon to get a split in the series-opening doubleheader.

Tanner Johnson hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning of the first game to pull Washburn within a run but the Bronchos added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to win 8-5 in the opener.
 
Washburn moved to 3-3 and 3-3 in the MIAA While UCO is 7-3 and 3-3 in the league. The two teams will continue the four-game series Friday at 2 p.m. with a single-game. Central Oklahoma will provide an online broadcast of the game.
 
The two teams went into extra innings in the opener tied at 2-2. Matt Jackson then hit his first Washburn home run to put the Bods up by one. Wes Jones then drove in Kyle Carnahan with a double and Jones scored on a single from Riley Price to put Washburn up 5-4.

The Bronchos then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth but were able to score just twice off an RBI groundout and an error.

Maustin Otterstatter, who entered in the seventh, finished the game on the mound to get the win and improve to 2-0. Taylor Gentry started the game and gave up two runs, both earned, off five hits through six innings.

Taylor Herrington and Payton Soicher hit back-to-back doubles in the second inning to plate a run and then Gauntt hit his second solo shot of the day and season to lead off the third. That put Washburn up 2-1 but the Bronchos tied the game with a run in the sixth. Each team left a runner on base in the seventh inning but was unable to cross the plate as Washburn played its first extra inning game of the year.

Gauntt ended the second game 3 for 4 and Herrington had two hits.

Washburn entered the sixth inning of the second game down 6-2 before a pair of UCO mistakes put two on base for Johnson. Gauntt reached on an error and then Carnahan was hit by a pitch. Johnson then homered to right field for the junior transfer's first blast as an Ichabod to make the score 6-5 UCO.
 
The Bronchos scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth off a homer and an RBI double to give them a three-run lead and Washburn was retired without a threat in the top of the seventh to end the game.
 
Gauntt opened scoring in the game with a solo shot in the second inning and then the Bronchos answered with a run in the second and then scored two in the fourth to put them up for good.
 
Brett Ash started on the mound and gave up the first three runs to take the loss. He went 3 1/3 innings and allowed one earned run off three hits. He struck out four and walked three as he fell to 0-1.
 
Washburn totaled five hits from five different players while the Bronchos had eight hits off Washburn's three pitchers.