ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Third-seeded Washburn Baseball extended its MIAA Tournament run with a 9-2 win over seventh-seeded Central Oklahoma in an elimination game on Saturday, May 14.
 
Dan Gabler (4-2) struck out four in the start, earning a win after allowing just two runs in five innings pitched.  With a runner on first in the sixth, Greg Mason entered in relief and threw four shutout innings, striking out seven Bronchos to earn the save.

Kyle Carnahan, David Gauntt and Zane Mapes all had three hit days for the Ichabods.  Gauntt was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run with two RBI, while Mapes had a double with an RBI.  Riley Krane had a two-RBI triple in the morning game.

Washburn (33-19) took advantage of a UCO error in the top of the first, jumping out to a 1-0 lead when Gauntt's fly ball to right was mishandled, allowing Carnahan to race home from first after he singled with two out.
 
WU added another run in the third, as Gauntt drove a 1-1 pitch to the left center gap, and Carnahan raced home from second.  Carnahan reached earlier in the inning off a single and took second on wild pitch during Gauntt's at-bat.
 
The Ichabods extended their lead to five with three runs in the fourth.  With two outs, Mapes singled through the left side and moved to second as Gibson was hit by a pitch.  Krane sliced a triple to triple to right center gap to clear the bases, giving WU a 4-0 lead before coming around to score on Carnahan's RBI single.
 
UCO cut into the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but WU answered with a run in the seventh and eighth to bring its lead back to five (7-2).  Gauntt led off the seventh with a single through the right side, and after racing to third on a passed ball, came home as Tanner Triggs hit a sacrifice fly.
 
Up 6-2 in the eighth, Mapes doubled down the left field line with one out before WU capitalized on another UCO error, as Parker Gibson's ground ball was mishandled at second and Mapes dashed home.
 
Gauntt led off the ninth with his 19th home run of the season, hitting a solo shot over the left field wall to give the Ichabods an 8-2 lead.  Later in the inning, Mapes came through with his third hit of the day for another RBI.  With one out, Lance Barkley walked and moved to second on an infield single from Bowe Behymer, and Mapes closed the Ichabods scoring with a single up the middle to score Barkley.
 
UCO put two base runners on in the ninth with just one out, but Mason sealed the victory with a strikeout and ground out.
 
The Ichabods advance in the MIAA Tournament with the win and will square off with top-seeded Central Missouri at 12:30 p.m.  If the Ichabods win, they will face UCM again at 9 a.m., on Sunday, May 15 for a chance to play in the MIAA Tournament Championship game.