TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn baseball team swept its doubleheader against Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday, April 23.  WU took the first game, 6-3, before a walk-off, 7-6, win in the finale at Falley Field.
 
WU (29-17, 21-13 MIAA) is now tied with UNK in the MIAA standings, sitting fourth with two games left in the regular season. 

Forecasted weather in Topeka has forced further adjustments to this weekend's series schedule.  Friday's single-game has been moved to Saturday, and the team's will play another doubleheader with a seven and nine-inning game, beginning at 2 p.m.
 
Game 1: WU 6, UNK 3
Washburn had five doubles and never trailed, winning its sixth straight contest, 6-3.
 
WU started the game with back-to-back doubles from Riley Krane and Parker Gibson, making it 1-0 before Kyle Carnahan had the Ichabods' third straight hit and drove home Gibson, pushing the advantage to two.
 
After UNK cut the deficit to one in the top of the third, WU struck back with another two runs in the bottom half.  Krane picked up his second double of the day before Gibson reached on a hit-by-pitch, and with a double steal in motion, Carnahan sent a ground ball through the left side to score the lead runner.  From there, David Gauntt's sacrifice fly to right was deep enough to plate Gibson, making it 4-1.
 
The Lopers again made it a one-run game in the fourth behind four hits, loading the bases before the Ichabods recorded an out.  Still, a play at the plate and a double play helped WU limit the damage and keep the lead, 4-3.
 
Tanner Johnson led off the fourth with a double and came around to score off Payton Soicher's RBI single, and in the fifth, Carnahan scampered home on a passed ball to stretch the advantage back to three, 6-3.
 
After UNK scored in the fourth, Maustin Osterstatter and the Ichabods retired the final seven Lopers to secure the win.
 
Osterstatter improved to 4-2 for the year, tossing a complete game with three runs allowed on six hits. 
 
Carnahan finished the game 3-for-3 with two RBI while Krane and Soicher each had two hits.
 
Game 2: WU 7, UNK 6
A walk-off single in the ninth from Connor Crimmins ended a 7-6 comeback victory for the Ichabods to complete the doubleheader sweep.
 
WU outhit the Lopers, 16-7, in the game and came back from a five-run deficit early on.
 
UNK took advantage of three hits and three WU errors in the second to take a 5-0 lead, holding it until the fifth.
 
WU loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the third, but a double play and a strikeout kept the Ichabods scoreless.
 
A leadoff double from Johnson started the fifth for the Ichabods, and after loading the bases again with no outs, WU broke through off Gibson's two-RBI single through the left side.  From there, a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out and David Gauntt followed with a two-RBI single of his own to cut the deficit to one, 5-4.  Tanner Triggs' RBI single scored Gauntt in the next at-bat to tie it at 5-all.
 
The Lopers had their own struggles in the sixth, loading the bases with just one out before a line drive off pitcher Tanner Kilmer was caught by second baseman Corey Gragg, putting in motion an inning-ending double play.
 
WU took the lead, 6-5, in the sixth thanks to a two-out RBI single from Carnahan.  Prior to the go-ahead hit, Gibson reached on an infield single and moved to third after an overthrow on a stolen base.  That lead was short-lived, however, as UNK hit a solo home run in the seventh to tie it at six.
 
Carnahan led off the ninth with a single, and after moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, came around to score on Crimmins' walk-off single to center field.
 
Mike Hefferan threw five innings in the no-decision, giving up five runs (one earned) on four hits before Kilmer entered to throw the final four innings.  Kilmer (7-3) took the win with one run allowed on two hits, picking up on strikeout.
 
Gibson and Carnahan each had three hits while Krane, Gauntt, Crimmins and Johnson each had two hits.  Gibson and Gauntt led the team with two RBI each.