GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas --- The Washburn Ichabod baseball team opened the 2018 campaign in winning fashion on Thursday as it notched an 8-3 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma on day one of the Air Hogs Classic in Grand Prairie, Texas.
 
The Ichabods (1-0) struck first with Darian Abram tallying the first run of the season while Javis Larson's single of the middle was good for the first RBI. Larson was later driven in by Brady Hoover to make it 2-0. 
 
The Washburn advantage however did not last the inning as the Savage Storm (0-1) answered with three runs on four hits taking a 3-2 lead. Those however were the only runs from Southeastern Oklahoma for the day as Josh Ramirez tamed the SESOU offense as it combined for just three hits in the next four innings earning his first win of the season.
 
With Ramirez taking care of business on the mound, Ichabod batters found ways to contribute offensively. Washburn tied the contest at 3-3 in third as Abram scored on a sacrifice fly from Hoover after getting on base with a walk. In the fourth, Kolten Meyer tallied his first run as an Ichabod as he bumped the score to 4-3 with help from Jake Hahn.
 
In the seventh, Washburn capitalized on Storm miscues as it pushed three runs across to pull out to a 7-3 lead. After leading off the inning a walk, Abram tallied his third run of the day as he scored from first on an RBI double by Bowe Behymer, who later scored on a wild pitch. Larson then opened the margin to four as a defensive error by SEOSU allowed Josh Crosby to safely reach and get credit for the RBI.
 
Crosby and Larson teamed up again in the ninth with Crosby slapping a single up the middle making it 8-3.
 
The Ichabod bullpen had good showing in its first test of the year as they held the Storm scoreless for the final four innings and combined to allow just one hit.
 
Brock Gilliam was the first to follow Ramirez as he took the mound in the sixth. A bumpy start for Gilliam saw Southeastern Oklahoma threatening as it loaded the bases with one out. The righty however had other plans he retired the next two batters including a swinging strike to get out of the jam. Gilliam then recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh.
 
Austin Simpson make his Washburn debut in the eighth and kept the Storm batters off balance as he notched consecutive swinging strikeouts before retiring the side in order allowing Matthew Hicks to close out the game in the ninth.
 
At the plate, Washburn finished with seven hits, while tallying eight stolen bases. Abram finished with three walks and two steals. Larson went 2 for 3 in his Washburn debut with drew a pair of walks. Crosby and Hahn also tallied a couple hits each on the day.
 
Washburn returns to action tomorrow against nationally-ranked Southern Arkansas with first-pitch slated for 1 pm.