TOPEKA, Kan. – Washburn baseball racked up 17 hits en route to a 9-2 win over Emporia State in game two of a midweek series with the Hornets on Tuesday, April 19.
WU (26-13, 21-8 MIAA) officially clinched the series with ESU (28-12, 20-9 MIAA) after winning last week's opener, 11-8, at ESU and moved one game ahead of the Hornets in the MIAA standings. The teams entered the night as part of a three-way tie for second in the conference.
Nick Silva threw 4.1 innings with one run allowed off three hits and three walks, striking out two before
Greg Mason (3-2) entered in relief. Mason earned the win after throwing 3.1 innings of one-run ball, giving up three hits with two strikeouts.
Jaren Kutzke tossed the final 1.1 frames and did not allow a hit.
Tanner Triggs was 4-for-4 on the night with an RBI and a double, while
Payton Soicher (2-for-4) had two RBI and a triple.
Riley Krane racked up three this on the day with an RBI and
Bowe Behymer was 1-for-2 with three RBI.
David Gauntt had two hits on the day with two walks.
Scoreless through one, Washburn took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second off a sacrifice fly from Behymer. Gauntt started the inning with a four-pitch walk and moved to third after back-to-back singles from
Lance Barkley and Triggs. With bases loaded and no out, Behymer drove a 2-2 pitch deep to left field, scoring Gauntt on a sacrifice fly.
ESU tied it up at 1-1 in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly of its own, but Washburn struck back with two quick runs in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead for good. Triggs roped a single through the right side to lead off the inning, moving to second on Behymer's sacrifice bunt. Soicher then drove a 1-1 pitch to straightaway center field off the wall for a RBI triple, and in the next at-bat
Zane Mapes beat out a bunt attempt for an RBI single, scoring Soicher to make it 3-1.
ESU threatened to cut into the deficit in the fifth, loading the bases with just one out before Mason entered in relief and induced two ground ball outs to get out of the jam without allowing a run. The Ichabods took advantage of that momentum and struck for three more in the fifth, stretching its lead to five (7-2).
Kyle Carnahan reached on a throwing error in the leadoff spot for the inning, advancing to second on an overthrow. In the next at-bat, Gauntt singled the left side and moved to second on a throw to the plate. With one out, Barkley drew a walk to put two runners on before Triggs and Behymer racked up back-to-back doubles off the wall to score three.
A solo shot in the seventh got one back for ESU, but that was it was Washburn continued to pick up timely hits and close out the win. In the seventh, Soicher picked up a two-out RBI by taking an 0-2 the opposite way into left field to score
Cole Gardner from third (who pinch ran earlier after a Triggs single).
In the eighth, Washburn strung together four hits and a walk to tack on two more, making it 9-2. Gibson singled up the middle to start the inning before swiping second, coming around to score off Krane's single into left center. Later in the inning with bases loaded and one out,
Kasey Clark picked up a pinch-hit RBI single through the right to score Krane from third.
Washburn has now won five straight games, is 9-1 in its previous 10 games and has won 13 of its last 15. The Ichabods head for Jefferson City, Mo., this weekend for a three-game series at Lincoln, April 22-24.
