MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Ichabods broke a tie score with three runs in the eighth inning and that was all they needed to win the series opener at Northwest Missouri, 12-9, on Thursday afternoon. Washburn will close out the regular season with a doubleheader against the Bearcats on Friday starting at noon.
After two errors committed by the Bearcats' shortstop in the first inning, Washburn (17-20, 16-15 MIAA) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on
Peter Shearer's two out, two-RBI single to right field.
The Bearcats (13-24, 11-20 MIAA) cut Washburn's lead in half in the bottom of the inning after the leadoff walk scored on a double.
Washburn got that run back in the top of the second when
Xavier De Leon hit the third-consecutive single of the inning and brought home
Cole Emerson.
The Ichabods pushed their lead to 6-1 in the third and had three hits in the inning.
Kros Bay drove in
Brett Ingram for the fourth run of the game with a single to left field. With the bases loaded and two outs, De Leon plated two more runs on another RBI single.
Northwest Missouri scored once in the bottom of the third and then tied up the game at 6-all the following inning. The Bearcats went ahead 7-6 in the fifth inning after scoring an unearned run.
The Bearcats' lead was short-lived, though, as Ingram hit a leadoff homer off the new Northwest pitcher to get things going for Washburn in the sixth.
Peter Shearer doubled to left center and advanced to third on Emerson's single. With Featherston up to bat, Emerson successfully stole second base, but while that was going on, the Bearcats' catcher attempted to pick off Shearer at third and the throw ended up in left field allowing both runners to score and put Washburn back up, 9-7.
Northwest Missouri continued to fight back as it evened the score again with two runs in the seventh.
Similar to last time the score was tied, it didn't stay that way for long. Bay drew a one out walk and then moved up to second when Emerson was hit by the pitch. Featherston hit a double in the gap between left and center field to bring both runners in and give the Ichabods the lead back at 11-9. Washburn kept the line moving as
Eric Hinostroza reached safely on a fielding error and Featherston scored the unearned run.
The Ichabod defense erased a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth after turning a 4-6-3 double play.
Zach Philbin left a Northwest runner stranded on first after a strikeout ended the frame.
Dalton Huggins was called upon to close out the game in the ninth and he earned his third save of the season when the game ended on Washburn's third double play of the afternoon.
Featherston finished the day 3-5 at the plate and drove in the go-ahead runs in the eighth and then later scored as well. Ingram blasted his sixth home run of the season and also had three hits on the day. De Leon had two hits, three RBI and scored once. Emerson landed two hits and scored three runs.
Philbin improved to 3-0 out of the bullpen and did not allow an earned run in the two innings he pitched while only surrendering one hit and two walks.
