TOPEKA, Kan. – A balanced team effort by Washburn baseball resulted in a 5-2 series opening victory over Emporia State on Friday evening. The series is currently scheduled to wrap up tomorrow starting at 2 p.m. with game two of the doubleheader to follow.
The Hornets (10-15, 6-13 MIAA) started the scoring in the top of the second with a two-run homer to right field.
Kros Bay cut the Washburn (9-16, 8-11 MIAA) deficit to one run in the home half of that inning when he sent a two-out, 0-2 pitch over the left field fence.
The Ichabods took the lead in the bottom of the third with two runs on three hits.
Cole Emerson hit a leadoff double and then advanced to third base on
Xavier De Leon's sacrifice bunt.
Eric Hinostroza singled on the first pitch he saw to drive in Emerson and even the score. In an attempt to get into scoring position, Hinostroza got caught stealing for the second out of the inning.
Parker Dunn didn't let that stop the Washburn momentum as he gave the Ichabods their first lead of the game with a home run to center field to make it 3-2.
Rane Pfeifer and the Washburn defense escaped the fourth inning unscathed. The Hornets hit a leadoff single, but that was quickly erased a few pitches later as catcher Bay threw out the runner attempting to steal second. Emporia State followed that up with a double, but a fly out and a strikeout ended the inning.
Washburn added two more insurance runs in the fifth inning to go up, 5-2. Emerson got things going again as he led off the inning with an infield single. Up next was Hinostroza, who drew a walk to put runners on first and second. With two outs,
Brett Ingram worked an eight pitch at bat before he singled to score Emerson.
Zion Bowlin followed suit with an RBI single of his own.
The Washburn bullpen took over in the sixth inning and had an impressive showing. Joel Cassillas retired the side in order in the sixth and then allowed just one single up the middle in the seventh before handing the ball over the
Dalton Huggins in the eighth.
Huggins faced the minimum of batters in his two innings pitched as he struck out four-consecutive batters and then was able to get fly outs for the final two outs of the game.
Bay finished the night 3-4 at the plate with a solo home run. Dunn recorded his sixth homer of the season and went 2-4. Bowlin and Emerson also had two hits apiece and Emerson scored two runs.
Pfeifer earned his first win of the season, going five innings and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out six. Cassillas and Huggins both worked two innings and struck out a combined seven batters and allowed just one hit total.
