HAYS, Kan. – The Washburn baseball squad scored seven runs in the first three innings on Friday evening and went on to win the series opener at Fort Hays State, 8-5. The Ichabods improve to 13-18 (12-13 MIAA) while the Tigers fall to 8-21 (8-17 MIAA) and see their six-game winning streak come to an end.
The Tigers got on the board in the bottom of the first with one run after back-to-back doubles.
Washburn responded a half inning later and took a 2-1 lead after heads up baserunning.
Zion Bowlin led off the second frame with a single to center field and
Peter Shearer followed that up with a walk.
Cole Emerson loaded the bases on an infield bunt single down the third base line.
Kros Bay drove in the tying run on a sacrifice fly and Shearer was able to tag up and move up to third. Just as the 2-1 pitch was about to be delivered to
Carson Sader, Emerson broke towards second and successfully stole the bag while Shearer dashed home on the throw to down to the other side of the diamond and scored the go-ahead run.
In the third inning, the Ichabods scored five runs all with two outs to increase their lead to 7-1.
Xavier De Leon started things off with a single through the left side and
Brett Ingram was hit by the first pitch of his at bat to put runners on first and second. Holding a full count with two outs, Shearer plated two runs on a double down the right field line. Emerson reached first on a walk and then
Kros Bay cleared the bases as he belted a three-run homer to right field.
After the opening inning, Washburn starter
Rane Pfeifer held Fort Hays without a hit for the next five frames while only one Tiger baserunner reached third base during that time and was left stranded there in the fourth.
The score stayed locked at 7-1 until the bottom of the eighth. The Tigers hit a leadoff single and then two-consecutive hit by pitches loaded the bases for Garrett Stephens, who emptied the bases with a grand slam to cut Washburn's lead to 7-5.
The Ichabods got one run back in the next inning after
Wyatt Featherston sent the first pitch of the ninth over the wall in right field.
After getting the final two outs in the eighth,
Dalton Huggins returned to the mound to close out the game and did just that while picking up his second save of the season.
Pfeifer had a solid outing to improve his record to 2-4, going six innings and allowing just one run on two hits, struck out seven, and walked four.
Zach Philbin worked a scoreless and hitless seventh inning and issued one walk. Huggins struck out three batters in 1.2 innings pitched.
Shearer finished the night 2-3 at the dish with one walk, two RBI and scored twice. Bay cranked out his third home run of the year and totaled four RBI in the game. Featherston's homer was his second of the season. Ingram, Bowlin, and Emerson all recorded one hit and scored one run.
The three-game series will wrap up tomorrow (Saturday) with a doubleheader starting at noon at Larks Park.
