ALVA, Okla. -- The Washburn baseball team captured their third-straight victory after an 8-5 decision over Rockhurst on Friday. The Ichabods improve to a record of 4-2 and hand the Hawks a loss in their season opener.
Washburn starter
Brock Gilliam got the game going on a strong note for the Ichabods as he retired the side in order and struck out the first two batters.
In the top of the second, an Ichabod error put a runner on first and then he stole second to get in scoring position with two outs. Back-to-back singles scored one run and put runners on the corners. The Hawks then executed a successful double steal and stole home to go up 2-0.
Washburn answered with two runs of its own in the home half of the inning.
Zion Bowlin worked a one out walk and reached third base on a single up the middle by
Wyatt Featherston, who advanced to second on the throw.
Kros Bay walked to load the bases, but it wouldn't stay that way for long as the fourth ball got away for a wild pitch that allowed Bowlin to score. Featherston moved up to third on the wild pitch and then scored on the throw down to second that caught Bay.
Bay tripled to start the bottom of the fifth and then easily scored to break the tie on a
Steven Jacobson double.
Eric Hinostroza hit a one out single through the left side and then advanced all the way to third on an error by the left fielder that scored Jacobson. Hinostroza made it a 5-2 game after he scored on the throw down to first on a dropped third strike.
The Ichabods added three more runs in the next inning.
Peter Shearer led off the sixth with a single and then scored on Bowlin's double. Featherston followed that up with a single to center field that drove in Bowlin and allowed Featherston to advance to second on the throw in. Featherston advanced to third on a ground out and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Jacobson to put Washburn in front, 8-2.
Rockhurst cut Washburn's lead to 8-4 in the seventh inning after putting up two runs on three hits. Still trailing by four, the Hawks made some noise in the final frame. With one out, Rockhurst worked a walk and then advanced to second on a passed ball. A single up the middle scored the runner to make it 8-5. The second out of the inning came from a fielder's choice to get the runner out at second. A single and then a walk juiced up the bases and the Ichabods called on
Dalton Huggins to close out the game. He quickly closed the door and struck out the final batter on three-straight pitches. The Hawks stranded nine total baserunners in the game.
Gilliam earned his first win of the season, going six innings and allowing two runs (one unearned) on six hits while tying a career-best seven strikeouts. He threw 69 total pitches, 51 of which were strikes. Huggins earned his second save of the season and struck out the only batter he faced.
Offensively, Featherston and Bowlin each had two hits and scored two runs with one RBI. Jacobson finished the night with two hits and two RBI and scored once. Hinostroza went 2-4 and scored one run and also drove in one.
The Ichabods will play game three of the Northwestern Oklahoma State Ranger Roundup tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 8) against former MIAA opponent Truman State. The game is scheduled for noon start.
