TOPEKA, Kan. – Washburn opened up a 6-0 lead in the first two innings and never looked back in its weekend finale against Northwest Missouri, winning the three-game series with a 9-2 win on Saturday, March 12.
The Ichabods (10-8, 5-4 MIAA) put together 11 hits and allowed five, as starter
Mike Hefferan took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in a win. Hefferan (2-1) threw 7.2 innings and scattered three hits, striking out four before
Braden Larkey entered in relief to throw the final 1.1 innings of play. Larkey gave up two runs (one earned) and struck out one with two hits allowed.
Riley Krane,
David Gauntt and
Parker Gibson all had two-hit games for the Ichabods as Gauntt had three RBI thanks in part to a two-run home run. Krane, Gauntt and
Kyle Carnahan all had doubles for the Ichabods as well.
Payton Soicher blasted his second home run of the season and first career home run at Falley Field for two RBI as well.
Gibson (single) and Krane (RBI double) opened up the game with back-to-back hits to give WU a 1-0 lead, and after Carnahan laid down a sacrifice bunt (but reached safely), he stole second to put Ichabod runners on second and third with no outs.
Lance Barkley hit a sacrifice fly to deep right to push both runners up 90 feet (and score Krane), and Gauntt followed with a RBI double to close the scoring for the inning.
The second inning saw WU put three more on the board on the second after Carnahan had an RBI double and Gauntt took a 0-1 pitch over the left center fence.
Up 6-0 headed for the third, Gibson poked a RBI single into right field and plated Jones, who reached earlier on a leadoff single and moved to second as Soicher was hit by a pitch.
Soicher closed the scoring for WU on the day in the fifth, launching a 3-1 pitch down the left field line for a one out, two-run home run after
Cole Gardner singled earlier in the inning.
A pinch-hit double in the sixth for the Bearcats broke up Hefferan's no-hitter bid, and two runs in the ninth for NWMSU ended the shutout, but the early lead was enough for WU to win its second MIAA series of the season.
Washburn is back on the road next week for four games, opening up the trip with a Wednesday, March 16 contest at William Jewell.
