JOPLIN, Mo. -- The Washburn baseball team played the final game at the MIAA/GLVC Challenge on Monday afternoon and lost to the tournament host, Missouri Southern, 4-2. The Ichabods are now 6-6 on the year while the Lions improve to 10-1.
The Ichabods found themselves in an early hole as the Lions hit three consecutive doubles in the home half of the first to take a quick 2-0 lead. Missouri Southern added another run in the second inning to go up, 3-0.
Washburn responded and got two runs back in the third inning. Kros Bay led off the frame with a single to left center field and advanced to third on Wyatt Featherston's double. Bay scored the Ichabods' first run on a wild pitch while Featherston moved up to third. Eric Hinostroza hit a sacrifice fly to get Featherston home and cut Missouri Southern's lead to one at 3-2.
Trevor Marreel came on in relief in the second inning, where he gave up one hit and one unearned run, but settled in and cruised through the third and fourth innings.
To start the bottom half of the fifth, Skyler Proctor came in and got straight to business with an efficient six pitch inning and retired the Lions in order again in the sixth. After striking out the first batter in the seventh, Proctor ran into some control issues and walked the next two batters. He recorded the second out with another strikeout, but loaded the bases with a walk. Needing an out, Proctor escaped the inning unscathed with a third strikeout.
The Ichabods had held the Lions without a hit since the second inning, but Missouri Southern landed three singles in a row in the eighth inning to tack on an insurance run for a 4-2 advantage. A double play turned by Washburn ended the inning and stranded a runner on third.
The Lions' closer came on in the ninth and shut the door to secure the 4-2 victory.
Missouri Southern finished with seven hits while Washburn had five. Bay was 1-2 on the day with a hit by pitch and scored one run. Featherston, Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli, Zion Bowlin, and Carson Sader all recorded one hit.
Nick Sloan received the loss after allowing two runs in the first inning. Marreel and Proctor combined for six innings in relief and allowed just one run, one hit, and five walks while striking out eight.
After 12 road games to start the season, Washburn will play its first home series this weekend with four games against Regis starting Friday, Feb. 21.
