PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Washburn baseball team split Monday's slugfest doubleheader at Pittsburg State, taking game one by the score of 13-10 before narrowly falling in the second contest, 9-8. The Ichabods won the overall series with the Gorillas, winning two out of three games.
GAME ONE (Washburn 13-Pittsburg State 10)
The first game of the twin bill was full of back-and-forth offensive surges, thanks to a strong wind blowing out. After a leadoff walk in the first inning resulted in the first run of the game for Pittsburg State, the Ichabods (5-8, 5-4 MIAA) answered with two home runs in the second to take a 3-1 lead.
Brett Ingram launched a solo homer to deep center field and then
Peter Shearer sent the ball over the right field fence for a two-run shot.
Pittsburg State (7-5, 4-5 MIAA) tied up the game in the bottom of the second with a two-run homer of its own.
Eric Hinostroza led off the third with a double down the right field line and scored on a groundout by
Zion Bowlin. Ingram followed that up with his second solo home run of the day to put Washburn back in front, 5-3.
The Gorillas hit a leadoff home run and added one more run on a fielder's choice to even the score at 5-all.
Washburn's offense exploded in the sixth inning by scoring seven runs on eight hits.
Parker Dunn added three runs on one swing with a homer to center field.
The Gorillas scored twice in the seventh to make it a five run difference, 12-7.
Three singles in the eighth added one more run for Washburn. Ingram singled through the left side to drive home Hinostroza.
Pittsburg State added the three final runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth.
Conner Bond retired the side in order in the ninth to close out the game.
Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit in the combined 17 hit team effort with five doubles being hit by five different Ichabods. Ingram finished the day 4-5 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored. Shearer went 2-5 and drove in four RBI to go with two runs scored. Dunn also had three RBI on two hits and scored once.
Britt Brown earned his first win as an Ichabod after coming on in relief in the fifth and going 2.1 innings.
GAME TWO (Pittsburg State 9-Washburn 8)
The Gorillas wasted little time opening up the scoring as they plated seven runs on six hits, including three homers, and took advantage of two Washburn errors in the bottom of the first.
Washburn stormed back in the third with seven runs of its own on six hits to tie up the game.
Both teams were quiet until Pittsburg State broke the tie with a two-out triple that scored two runs.
The Ichabods cut the deficit to one after adding a run in the eighth, but that would be as close as it would get as the Gorillas held on for the 9-8 victory.
Eight of the nine Ichabods in the starting lineup scored one run. De Leon had a team-high three hits and scored one run to go with two RBI. Bowlin and Ingram also drove in two runs and scored once.
After entering the game in relief with one out in the first inning,
Jared Sharp went 6.2 innings and received the loss as the only runs he allowed in the game came in the seventh.
Dalton Huggins took over in the eighth and struck out the side.
The Ichabods return home later this week to host Northeastern State. The series is currently scheduled to begin on Friday at 3 p.m.
