JOPLIN, Mo. -- Errors proved costly for Washburn baseball on Friday night as the Ichabods fell to St. Cloud State, 6-2, in their first game at the MIAA/GLVC Challenge. The Ichabods will play again tomorrow (Feb. 15) against McKendree at 4 p.m.
 
Washburn (5-4) scored first in the top of the third inning. Eric Hinostroza reached first base on a muffed throw by the Huskies infielder. Up next was Zion Bowlin, who hit a single to right field and advanced to second on the throw while Hinostroza made it to third. Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli worked a walk to load the bases for Parker Dunn. The designated hitter Dunn hit a sacrifice fly deep enough to left field for Hinostroza to score to give Washburn a 1-0 lead.
 
Both teams struggled to get any offense going until the sixth inning. Steven Jacobson led off the top of the sixth with an infield single and advanced to second on a ground out. A single by Kros Bay allowed Jacobson to reach third and then he turned for home and scored on a throwing error to put Washburn up, 2-0.
 
The Huskies (1-0) recorded a hit in their first at bat of the game and the next batter reached base on an error, but Washburn starter Brock Gilliam settled in and retired the next 14 batters while striking out five. The streak came to an end in the bottom of the sixth, though, when the Huskies capitalized on three-straight Washburn errors to start the inning and finished with five runs on four hits.
 
A single, a walk, and an error loaded the bases for the Huskies in the bottom of the seventh and then a sacrifice fly tacked on another run for a 6-2 SCSU advantage.

The Ichabods went down quietly in the seventh and eighth innings. Mark Wanner led off the ninth with a pinch hit single and advanced his way around the bases with two outs, but was left stranded at third as the 10th Ichabod left on base when a ground out ended the game.

Offensively, Bay and Bowlin both went 2-4 in the game. Gilliam received the loss, going 5.1 innings and allowing five runs (one earned) and four hits while recording five strikeouts. Dalton Huggins came on in relief to finish out the sixth inning and struck out a batter. Nick Steiner pitched the final two innings and gave up one unearned run and struck out three.