TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- The Washburn baseball team showed off its power Friday, but fell victim to a 10-7 walk-off defeat against Northeastern State in game one of their three-game series.
The Ichabods (6-14, 1-9 MIAA) had three homers in the back-forth game with the RiverHawks (12-10, 4-6 MIAA), which saw each team have a three-run lead until a walk-off home run gave the RiverHawks the win.
NSU had a prolific first inning, capitalizing on a Washburn error to score three runs. A bases-loaded single scored the first two runners for NSU, while another two-out single by the next batter brought home another.
Starting pitcher
Josh Ramirez bounced back from the tough first frame, allowing just three hits and zero runs over the next four innings, while striking out seven. In 6.0 innings of work, he allowed three runs, none of them earned, on seven hits to go with a season-high nine strikeouts.
The Ichabods got on the board with two outs in the top of the third, as
Darian Abram hit a solo blast, his first home run of the season, over the left field wall to cut the deficit to two runs.
The Ichabods brought the game to within one run in the top of the fifth, when
Javis Larson scored
Jake Bublitz with a single to left field. Their first lead of the game came in the very next inning, when
Bowe Behymer's three-run shot put the Ichabods up 5-3.
After NSU's solo home run in the seventh brought the game to within 5-4,
Brady Hoover answered right back with a jack of his own in the eighth to give the Ichabods a two-run lead once again. The Ichabods added their final blow in the ninth inning, when Larson scored his second RBI on a single that scored
Joel Spain. Larson finished the game 3-3 with a walk, two RBI and two stolen bases.
Up 7-4 entering the final half-inning, the Ichabods were unable to hold the RiverHawks off. NSU was able to score three runs on two homers to tie the game with one out, before another three-run shot ended the game.
The Ichabods will look to even the series Saturday at 2 p.m. against the RiverHawks.
