TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Ichabods hit four home runs and finished with 16 hits on Sunday afternoon en route to a 13-9 series sweep over Missouri Western. With the win, Washburn improves to 11-8 (3-0 MIAA) while the Griffons drop to 4-14 (0-3).
Washburn started the scoring quickly with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first.
Xavier De Leon led off the frame with a single up the middle and made it home on
Zion Bowlin's double. Bowlin traded places with
Brett Ingram who doubled to left center to make it a 2-0 Washburn lead.
The Ichabods added another run in the second on
Kros Bay's first home run as an Ichabod, a solo shot that landed beyond the left field fence.
Missouri Western got one run in the third and fourth innings to cut Washburn's lead to 3-2. In the fifth frame, the Griffons took their first lead of the game, plating four runs on three hits.
Washburn got those three runs back in the home half of the fifth to reclaim the lead at 6-5.
Mitchell Lady hit a leadoff single through the left side and advanced to third on De Leon's double. A wild pitch moved both runners up with one run scoring. Ingram hit a two out RBI double and then scored on yet another Washburn double, this time hit by
Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli.
Wyatt Featherston welcomed the Griffons' new pitcher in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff homerun to left field to make it 7-5 in favor of Washburn.
The Ichabod offense was done as they exploded for five more runs on four hits with two homers in the seventh inning.
Eric Hinostroza started the inning with a single up the middle. Bowlin hammered the first pitch of his at bat and sent it out of the ballpark for a two-run homer. Ingram narrowly missed a home run himself as his double hit the left field fence. Clark-Chiapparelli reached on a fielding error and then
Parker Dunn cleared the bases with a three-run homer to give Washburn a 12-5 lead.
Both teams scored one run in the eighth to make it a 13-6 game. In the top of the ninth, Missouri Western added three runs on three hits and capitalized on two Washburn errors, but
Nick Steiner came on with one out and got a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.
Eleven of Washburn's 16 hits went for extra bases. Bowlin finished the day 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run. He also had three RBI and scored two runs. Ingram was also 3-for-4 with all three hits falling for doubles. Ingram scored twice and drove in two more. At the top of the lineup, De Leon was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored while also drawing a walk.
Jared Sharp was the winning pitcher, coming on in relief fifth inning and throwing 2.1 scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and one strikeout.
Washburn will travel down to Missouri Southern next weekend for three games. The series opener in Joplin, Mo., is set for Friday, March 6 at 3 p.m.
