ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The Washburn baseball squad fell in the conference opener at Missouri Western on Friday afternoon, 5-3. The Ichabods will wrap up the series tomorrow (Saturday) with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. 

Missouri Western (2-3, 1-0 MIAA) scored one run in the bottom of the first after a two-out single, hit by pitch, and two-straight walks. 

After the first inning, Washburn (0-5, 0-1 MIAA) starter Rane Pfeifer settled in. He retired the side in order in the third inning with two strikeouts, and then worked out of the fourth unscathed when there was a runner on third with no out.

The Washburn bullpen took over in the fifth and Missouri Western got the inning started with a leadoff walk. A single and then another walk loaded the bases before Maurice Bruce cleared them with a triple to make it a 4-0 game. 

The Ichabods cut the deficit in half with two runs in the top of the sixth. Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli got things going when he reached on an error and then advanced to second. Parker Dunn drove him in with a single through the right side. With one out, Zion Bowlin hit the ball to deep centerfield and legged out a triple that scored Dunn.

The Griffons tacked on its final run of the game in the seventh with a solo home run.

With Ichabod runners on second and third due to a Griffon error, Kros Bay knocked in Bowlin with a double to centerfield to make the score 5-3.

Washburn made some noise in the top of the ninth as Eric Hinostroza came in as a pinch hitter and reached first after he was hit by the pitch. Dunn drew a two-out walk to bring the winning run up to the plate, but a fielder's choice ended the game.

Bay finished the afternoon going 3-4 and had an RBI. Clark-Chiapparelli and Bowlin both recorded two hits and each scored one run. 

Pfeifer was tabbed with the loss after giving up one run and three hits in four innings. He also struck out six. Roy Robles went six innings and earned the win, allowing two runs, six hits and recording eight strikeouts.