TOPEKA, Kan. --- In spite of being outhit 15-9, the Washburn Ichabods made the most of their opportunities en route to claiming a 9-5 come from behind win over Fort Hays State on Tuesday at Falley Field. With the result the Ichabods (13-27, 7-22 MIAA) picked up a 2-1 series win for their third of the season and second within conference play.
 
Reliever Tanner Strickbine was efficient in his two and two-third innings of relief on the way to collecting the win. Strickbine was scoreless in appearance with three strikeouts, while surrendering three hits and a walk. Starter Brock Gilliam had a workman-like outing as left FHSU retired the FHSU order in the second and fifth, as he lasted five and a third, allowing five runs on 12 hits with two strikeouts.
 
Trailing 5-4 after a two-run single by the Tigers in the sixth, Washburn began to mount a comeback in the bottom half of the frame with a lead-off single by Brady Hoover (1-for-4) and walk for Bowe Behymer (1-for-1, 2 BB). With momentum building, Jake Bublitz (1-for-4) then slapped a single through the right side of the infield scoring Hoover for the tying run with Behymer just 90 feet from home.
 
A Fort Hays State pitching change however did not slow the Ichabods, as Jake Hahn (1-for-3) in the next at-bat nudged Washburn out front with a sacrifice to shallow center which allowed Behymer to race in for the go-ahead run. Kolton Meyer (2-for-4) then extended the margin to 7-5 with an RBI double to the right-center gap allowing Bublitz to come across from first.
 
In the seventh, Josh Crosby (1-for-4) provided a pair of insurance runs with his team-best 11^th home run of the season. With that two-run shot, Crosby recorded his fifth consecutive game with an extra base hit, while trying a season-best six-game hit streak.
 
After going down in order in the first, Washburn jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the second. A lead-off triple by Behymer the inning was quickly turned into a run during the next at-bat as Bublitz collected his 15^th RBI on a 4-3 ground. With runners on first and second following back-t-back singles from Hahn and Meyer, the Ichabods were then able to capitalize on a costly Tiger fielding error as it plated three unearned runs before the end of the frame.
 
The Tigers cut the 4-0 lead in half as it scored two runs on a pair of RBI singles. In the third, FHSU notched another RBI single to put within one. After going down in order during the fifth, Fort Hays State resumed its hit parade in the top of the sixth with a two-RBI single to claim a 5-4 lead.
 
With just seven games left in the season, Washburn will play its final three-game road set this weekend as it visits Bolivar, Missouri to take on Southwest Baptist. The series is scheduled to begin Friday with first-pitch penciled for 2 pm.