ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The fifth-seeded Washburn baseball team rolled to a 9-1 win over fourth-seeded Missouri Western on Friday, May 1, advancing in the MIAA Tournament with a sweep in the best-of-three opening round series.  The Ichabods won game one on Friday, 6-5, in extra innings.
 
WU (32-18) struck early and often, racking up 15 hits in the game while limiting the Griffons to just two hits.
 
Parker Gibson led off the game with a single through the right side, moving to second on Riley Krane's sacrifice bunt.  From there, Kyle Carnahan gave the Ichabods an early lead by driving Gibson with a single into left.   Later in the inning, with runners on the corners and two outs, a failed pickoff attempt on David Gauntt (who was in a rundown between first and second) allowed Carnahan to dash home, making it 2-0.
 
A solo home run to start the bottom of the second for MWSU cut the Ichabods' lead to one (2-1), but a run for the Ichabods in the third pushed the advantage back to two (3-1).  Carnahan led off the third with a double and took third off Gauntt's single to right field.  Connor Crimmins's fly ball out went to the warning track in the next at-bat, deep enough to score Carnahan on the sacrifice.
 
A wild fourth with three MWSU errors and six Ichabod hits helped WU score five more runs.  After Wes Jones reached on an infield single, Payton Soicher's bunt single was overthrown at first and both runners moved into scoring position.  In Parker Gibson's at-bat, a pickoff attempt at second was tossed into center field, allowing Jones to score and Soicher to move up another 90 feet.  Gibson then laid down a bunt towards first base, reaching safely and picking up the RBI as Soicher came home. 
 
Riley Krane and Carnahan followed with back-to-back singles, though Carnahan's was mishandled in left field and scooted to the fence, pushing Gibson and Krane across the plate and Carnahan moved to third.  The scoring burst came to a close as Carnahan came home on Gauntt's RBI groundout, making it 8-1.
 
The offensive output continued in the fifth for the Ichabods, scoring their ninth run of the night off a bases loaded, fielder's choice from Carnahan.  With one out in the innng, Soicher singled, Gibson doubled and Krane walked before Carnahan produced his third RBI of the game, plating Soicher.
 
Mike Hefferan (4-1) was strong on the mound, earning the complete game win after giving up just two hits in the game.  Hefferan threw just 75 total pitches, struck out five and besides a home run in the second, allowed just one Griffon baserunner past first.
 
Carnahan scored three runs, drove in three and was one of three Ichabods to have three hits, alongside Gibson and Soicher, who both added two runs scored as well.
 
WU will advance to the second weekend of play in the MIAA Tournament held at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.  The Ichabods will take on No. 1 seed Missouri Southern in the second round on Thursday, May 7 at 11 a.m.  MSSU swept its opening round series with No. 8 seed Northeastern State.