TOPEKA, Kan. --- Less than a day after Washburn baseball and Lindenwood combined for 19 runs and 25 hits, scoring turned into a premium on Saturday as the Ichabods (17-29, 11-24 MIAA) edged out a 1-0 victory while narrowly outhitting the Lions, 5-3. With the result, Washburn earned its third consecutive series win and a conference-best fourth shutout.
 
The Ichabods will close the 2018 season on Sunday as they look for their first series sweep of the year. First-pitch of the finale is scheduled for 1 pm, but fans are encouraged to arrive early for senior recognition prior to the game.
 
In front of the raucous Falley Field faithful, Nick Sloan (4-4) was exceptional as he left Lindenwood hitless during the first, second, fifth and seventh innings. The junior righty saw his no-hit bid dashed in the third but continued to plug away. Sloan stranded eight Lion runners, including five in scoring position. The Ichabod starter tallied five strikeouts, three looking, while scattered three hits in eight scoreless innings of work.
 
With a game-high two-hit inning in the sixth, Washburn threatened to break the scoreless stalemate as Steven Jacobson's walk loaded the bases following a pair of one-out singles from Bowe Behymer and Jake Bublitz. The bid however was clipped short as the Lions turned a double-play to escape the inning.
 
The lone run of the afternoon came in the seventh, as Bailey Jenkins comfortably scored from third thanks to a Josh Crosby sac fly to center for his 44^th RBI of the season. Jenkins found himself at third after he reached on a walk, before a Javis Larson single and wild pitch pushed him along.  
 
With Sloan's departure after the eighth, Sam Carver appeared to close out the ninth, and the junior lefty did just that. After surrendering a lead-off walk, Carver settled in to record consecutive ground outs. Despite having a Lion runner 90-feet from home, the junior lefty remained posed and slammed the door on any hope of a Lindenwood rally as registered a swinging strike for the final out.
 
Brady Hoover was the lone hitter of the day with multiple hits as the junior went 2-for-4 at the plate including a double during the first, while singles from Behymer, Bublitz and Hahn accounted for the balance of Washburn's five hits.