MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Washburn Ichabods came up two runs shy in each game at Northwest Missouri falling 4-2 and 7-5 in a conference doubleheader on Thursday at Bearcat Field. Washburn (23-10, 9-7 MIAA) will be back in action hosting Emporia State at Gahnstrom Field at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
 
Game 1 – NWMSU 4, WU 2
After the Bearcats jumped on the board in the bottom of the first, Washburn came back with a run of its own tying the score at 1-1 when Kimi Patterson singled scoring Kamryn Garvie who led off the inning with a walk.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Bearcats broke the tie on a home run by Madison Friest leading off the inning and then added one more on a single by Hannah Blackford scoring Grace Jeffries pushing the Bearcats to a 3-1 lead.
 
In the fifth, Bri Fuchs started the inning with a double down the left field line and then moved to third on a single by Marrit Mead who then swiped second. The Ichabods cut the lead to 3-2 when Hadley Kerschen drove in Fuchs with a double of her own to right. After Ashton Friend reached on a fielding error by the Bearcats loading the bases, but the next three batters are retired as the Ichabods left the bases full.
 
The Ichabods left the bases loaded in the top of the sixth after singles by Mead after a pair of walks and then Northwest's Friest added her second home run of the putting the Bearcats up 4-2.
 
In the seventh, the Ichabods went down in order as the Bearcats took the opener.
Mead led the Ichabods with three hits and Kerschen had two. Reagan Hamm scattered nine hits striking out five with four earned runs. The Ichabods left 10 runners on base in the game.
 
Game 2 – NWMSU 7, WU 5
After both teams were scoreless in the first two innings, the Ichabods had singles by Autymn Schreiner and Mead and then Schreiner scored when Ashton Friend reached on a fielding error by Northwest to go up 1-0.
 
Washburn added some insurance runs in the top of the fifth with two outs after Kerschen, Friend and Patterson all singled and then Jenna Moore drove in Friend and Kerschen with a single to center pushing Washburn's lead to 3-0. However in their next at bat, the Bearcats' took the lead scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-3 lead after five complete innings.
 
In the sixth, the Bearcats added a home run taking a 7-3 lead into the seventh.
 
Kerschen led off the inning with a single and then Friend connected on a home run to cut the Ichabod deficit to 7-5 with no outs. After a pitching change by the Bearcats, Patterson singled and Moore reached on a fielder's choice. Garvie would then reach on a fielder's choice. Maddie Stipsits connects on a pinch hit singles and with the go-ahead run at the plate, the threat was ended with a ground out.
 
Mead, Kerschen, Friend, Patterson and Schreiner all have two hits for the Ichabods while Friend and Moore each drove in two. Jaycee Ginter took the loss in the circle.