MAGNOLIA, Ark. --- Washburn baseball split its season opening doubleheader on Friday with No. 13 Southern Arkansas. The Ichabods (1-1) started the day strong taking game one 8-4, notching their fifth consecutive season opener before falling to SAU (1-1), 5-2, in game two. The series is set to conclude on Saturday with first pitch slated for 5 pm.

GAME 1: Washburn 8, Southern Arkansas 4
Trailing 1-0 after the first, Peter Shearer tallied the first Ichabod RBI of the season with a single to score Brady Hoover. Washburn then registered the next five runs to take a 6-2 lead. 

Hoover sparked the offense with a two-run blast in the fourth before Lane Harvey followed suit with solo shot for his first career home run in the fifth. Xavier De Leon also had a career first as he added to the cause with two RBI single in the fourth.

The Muleriders pulled back a pair runs in the fifth and sixth, but the effort was not enough as Washburn pushed runners across in the seventh and eighth.

Josh Ramirez started on the bump for the Ichabods and was solid as he earned the win. Ramirez struck out four through four and answered the call in the fifth as he rung up a sixth looking to get out of a bases loaded jam. His day eventually came to a close in the sixth, following a 5.2-inning performance with four runs, three earned, on seven hits.

Reliever Nate Lorenzen was equally as impressive in his 3.1-inning performance as he was credited with the save.

GAME 2: Washburn 2, Southern Arkansas 5
Three errors in the nightcap made it an up hill battle for Washburn as the Muleriders capitalized with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth while helping SAU tally the opening run in the second.

Trailing 1-0, Hoover recorded his second home run of the day to lead off the fourth. After a three-run fourth for Southern Arkansas, De Leon cut the deficit in half after being pushed around following a lead off walk. 

Unlike the opener, Washburn struggled to runners across as it stranded nine, including four in scoring position, while out hitting SAU, 7-4.

Jacob Head got the start, going 2 1/3  innings with one hit, one run and two strikeouts in the no decision. Brock Gilliam was dealt the loss as he worked 3 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs, two earned, on two hits while striking out seven. Brandon Gabler was solid in his relief appearance, tossing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.