HAYS, Kan. --- The Washburn baseball team split its series-ending doubleheader with Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday at Larks Park in Hays, Kan. With clear but windy conditions, the teams combined for 50 runs. The Ichabods (12-27, 6-22 MIAA) dropped the opener 17-10, but rebounded with a 12-11 victory in the nightcap.

The final two games of the series were relocated to Hays, due to severe winter-like weather continuing to bombard Kearney, Neb.

Washburn will return to action on Tuesday when it host Fort Hays State in the series finale at Falley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5 pm.

Game 1: Washburn 10, Neb.-Kearney 17
Bowe Behymer led Washburn offensively as he finished with three hits in four plate appearances while crossing home for three runs. Josh Crosby meanwhile accounted for five Ichabod runs as he scored twice and drove in three others to push his season RBI total to 34. 

Washburn's lone complete inning lead was a 1-0 advantage after as Darian Abram opened the scoring with his fourth home run of the season to lead-off the first. The Ichabods then pushed three run across during the next two innings as Behymer scored twice, while Jake Bublitz scored in the third to make it 4-3 Washburn midway through.

UNK then plated 11 runs between the third and fourth stanzas to take claim a 14-4 lead through four innings. The Lopers eventually added to their cause with two in fifth and one more in the eighth.

From the fifth to the seventh-inning WU put together a six-run rally. The spurt was bookended with a run by Crosby in the fifth and Behymer and in the seventh. The majority of the scoring came during the sixth as the Ichabods were able to capitalize on a UNK throwing error which resulted in four unearned runs.

Game 2: Washburn 12, Neb.-Kearney 11
The WU batting order was potent from top to bottom as it combined with a series-high 14 hits with six Ichabods notching at least one RBI while five finished with two hits. Larson meanwhile tied a game-high with three runs scored.

After leading for the majority of the nightcap, Washburn began the seventh trailing 11-9. A Jake Hahn RBI double trimmed the deficit to one. Larson then came through with a two-out double to right-center to push Hahn across. 

Later in the inning, with runners on first and third, Hoover proved to be the clutch hitter the Ichabods needed as he slapped a single to right allowing Larson to come in from third for the go-ahead run.

The Ichabod bats went to work early in game two with a five run first inning, including three unearned. The runs kept coming for Washburn in the second as Behymer drove Larson across for the second consecutive inning, while Bailey Jenkins and Crosby also scored, opening the WU lead to 8-3. 

Crosby collected his 10th home run of the season in the fourth, but was sandwiched between four-run innings from UNK in the third and fifth as it claimed its only lead of game two.

On the mound, Nick Sloan was charged with the game one loss as he went allowed 13 runs on 12 hits in three and a third innings of work. Trevor Marreel tossed four and two-thirds innings, with three earned runs, four total, on five hits with four strikeouts.

In game two, Sam Carver dominated in long relief, fanning nine UNK hitters. Carver picked up the victory as he surrendered just one run on one run in five innings of work. Austin Simpson got the start but left after the fourth as he was tagged for 10 runs, nine earned, on 11 hits.