HAYS, Kan. – Washburn Baseball put up 11 runs in the first four innings and evened its midweek series with Fort Hays State, taking down the Tigers 12-9 on Wednesday, March 30.
WU (15-12, 10-7 MIAA) is now tied with FHSU (13-15, 7-10 MIAA) in its season series between the teams after dropping the opener last weekend at Washburn. In Wednesday's matchup, WU was out-hit, 15-13, by the Tigers on the day but came up with four home runs and three doubles.
Jacob Head (2-1) took the win in his third start of the season, tossing six innings with seven runs allowed off 11 hits, strikeout out three.
Josh Ramirez gave up two runs in the seventh with a pair of strikeouts before
Zach Linquist (two hits allowed) and
Greg Mason (one strikeout) combined for a scoreless eighth.
Lance Barkley picked up his second save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.
Riley Krane with 3-for-4 on the day to lead the team with two, two-run home runs and a double, while
Bowe Behymer added three hits of his own with a double and an RBI.
David Gauntt went 2-for-4 with a double and his 10th home run of the season for two RBI, while
Tanner Triggs blasted a three-run home run.
With four at-bats on the day, Gibson moved into a tie for first plate all-time in career at-bats at Washburn with 662.
Parker Gibson took the first pitch of the afternoon up the middle for a single before Krane blasted his third home run of the year, using the wind in left field to carry his deep fly ball over the fence to give WU a 2-0 early lead.
Payton Soicher drew a one-out walk in the second, and during
Zane Mapes' at-bat a wild pitch scooted to the backstop away from the catcher as Soicher ran all the way to third. With two outs, Behymer came through in the clutch with a RBI double to right center to plate Soicher.
Up 3-0 after the top of the second, WU was tagged for six runs behind seven hits (including a three-run home run) in the bottom of the inning. Finding itself down by three quickly, WU answered in the third with three runs to tie it 6-6 after a pair of doubles, a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a wild pitch.
The inning opened with a double from Krane, and after
Kyle Carnahan was hit by a pitch Gauntt took the first pitch he saw over the head of the left fielder for an RBI double that scored Krane. Barkley drew a full count walk to load the bases, and after Carnahan came home on a double play, Gauntt's heads up base running helped the Ichabods tie it as he came home on a wild pitch during Soicher's at-bat.
Behymer opened a five-run fourth inning for WU with a single up the middle, and with one out Krane blasted his second two-run home run of the day to put WU back ahead, 8-6. Carnahan and Gauntt with both hit by pitches to restart the inning, and after a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs, Triggs ripped an 0-2 pitch over the right center wall against the wind for a three-run home (his first round tripper of the season).
Up 11-6, FHSU got one back in the bottom of the fifth but WU soon stretched the lead back to five (12-7) after Gauntt's solo shot in the sixth.
FHSU climbed within three (12-9) in the seventh but the Ichabods held the Tigers at bay to hang on for the win. In the eighth, FHSU put runners on first and second with two outs before Mason got a key strikeout to get out of the jam.
The Ichabods head north from Hays to take on Nebraska-Kearney in a three-game road series that opens this Friday, April 1.
