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EMPORIA, Kan. – Corey Gragg and Connor Crimmins each had three hits and two RBI and Washburn got two solid pitching performances in a 10-4 win Friday at Emporia State to force the third and deciding game in the MIAA tournament first round series.
 
Washburn improved to 26-23 while the Hornets fell to 35-16 as the series tied at one win each. The two will play the ninth game of the year between each other Saturday at 3 p.m. to see who will advance to the final rounds of the tournament in Springfield, Missouri, Thursday. The winner will play Central Oklahoma as the Bronchos swept their series against Nebraska-Kearney.
 
Taylor Gentry earned the win (7-2) as he allowed three runs, one earned, through the first five innings and into the sixth. He allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out four. Maustin Otterstatter inherited two runners with no outs in the sixth from Gentry and got the Hornets to ground into a double play and then bounce one back to the mound for the third out. Otterstatter completed the game to get his second save of the year.
 
Emporia State tied the game in the fifth with three runs and then the Ichabods got all three back in the sixth and three more in the seventh to lead 9-3. Kyle Carnahan led off the sixth with a single, advanced on a wild pitch and then scored on a single from Matt Jackson. Parker Gibson later hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Jackson and Gragg drove in Wes Jones with a single.
 
Johnson, Crimmins, Gibson and Gragg produced four straight singles in the seventh to give the Ichabods three more runs and the Gauntt hit his team-leading eighth home run in the eighth to give Washburn 10 runs.
 
Crimmins finished 3 for 4 with two RBI and he scored once. Gragg was 3 for 6 and Jackson and Johnson had two hits each. Washburn finished with 14 hits.
 
The Ichabods will look to win their first postseason series since sweeping Southwest Baptist to open the MIAA tournament in 1999.