MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The Ichabods scored a combined 29 runs in Friday's doubleheader games en route to sweeping Northwest Missouri to close out the regular season. Washburn will wait to see who it will face in the MIAA Tournament next week (May 14-16) as the conference will release the brackets Saturday evening.

GAME ONE (Washburn 20, Northwest Missouri 14)
Kros Bay got things going for Washburn (19-20, 18-15 MIAA) in the second inning with a leadoff double and then scored the first run of the game on an RBI groundout by Xavier De Leon.
 
A solo homer by Zion Bowlin and an RBI double from Bay pushed the Ichabods' lead to 3-0 in the third.
 
The Washburn offense kept the momentum going into the fourth inning and scored five runs on four hits. Cole Emerson reached base on an error and advanced to second on De Leon's bunt single. Eric Hinostroza laid down a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position. Bowlin hit a rocket to third base for a single that scored Emerson. Parker Dunn promptly emptied the bases with a three-run bomb to right field. Peter Shearer capped off the scoring with a solo shot to make it 8-0 in favor of Washburn.
 
The Bearcats (13-26, 11-22 MIAA) got their first hit of game in the fourth inning and recorded three doubles and put up three runs.
 
Washburn had its second-consecutive five-run inning as it increased the lead to 13-3 in the fifth, scoring all five runs with two outs.
 
Northwest Missouri matched the three runs scored in the top of the inning with three of its own to make it a 13-6 game in the bottom of the fifth.
 
With one out and runners on first and second in the sixth, Dunn cleared the bases again with another three-run homer.
 
The Bearcats responded and hit a three-run double in the home half of the frame to get it, 16-9. In the following inning, they totaled three runs again and cut Washburn's lead to four.
 
Andrew Schmidtlein doubled in his first at bat of the game in the eighth after coming in as a defensive substitution and later scored on Ingram's double. An inning later, Schmidtlein blasted a three-run dinger to push Washburn's advantage to 20-12.
 
Northwest Missouri tacked on two final runs in the bottom of the ninth before Michael Schurig ended the game with a strikeout.
 
Washburn scored in every inning except the first and seventh. The last time WU racked up 20 runs was back on April 24, 2016 at Lincoln. Four Ichabods recorded three hits in the game as Washburn totaled 21. Bowlin and Bay both went 3-3 and combined for five RBI. Dunn finished with three hits, with two leaving the park. He now has nine homers on the season. Ingram was 3-5 with two runs scored and also drove in two more. Schmidtlein went 2-2 and had a double, scored, then hit a three-run homer.
 
Conner Bond earned his first career win in an Ichabod uniform after getting the last out of the seventh and working the eighth inning. He allowed one earned run and one single to go with one walk and one strikeout. Ichabod starter Brock Gilliam went 4.2 innings and surrendered six runs, four of which were earned, and five hits while striking out four. He is now tied for the Washburn program record of most strikeouts in a single season with an even 100. Rick DeHart set the record in 1991.
 
GAME TWO (Washburn 9, Northwest Missouri 7)
For the first time in the series, it was Northwest Missouri who got on the board first as the Bearcats jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the opening inning.
 
In the second inning, the Ichabods scored one after De Leon worked a bases loaded walk.
 
The Bearcats got that run back in the bottom of the second with an RBI double to push their lead to 4-1.
 
Washburn's offense came alive and capitalized on some Northwest Missouri miscues in the fourth with four runs to take the lead. Bay started things off with a walk and then scored all the way from first on Schmidtlein's double. Wyatt Featherston drew a walk and then both runners moved up on a passed ball. De Leon's single scored Schmidtlein and advanced Featherston to third. With one out, De Leon successfully stole second and then Featherston broke towards home and scored when the throw to the plate was off line and rolled away from the catcher, allowing De Leon to reach third. Dunn knocked in the go-ahead run with an RBI single.
 
The Ichabods added some cushion to their lead with one run in the fifth, two in the sixth, and another in the seventh, giving Washburn a 9-4 advantage.
 
Northwest Missouri whittled away at the deficit by scoring one run in the seventh and eighth innings. The Bearcats threatened in bottom of the ninth with back-to-back walks to start the inning and a sacrifice fly made it a 9-7 contest. Brant Bennett got the three final outs on fly outs to secure the sweep.
 
Bay was a double-hitting machine on Friday, finishing 2-3 with two doubles, two walks, and scored four runs. He had four total doubles between both games. Schmidtlein got the start in the second game and also went 2-3 with two doubles, two walks, two RBI and scored once. De Leon had two hits and drove in two runs.
 
Sean McElwee earned the win, throwing four innings and allowing four runs while striking out three. Bennett allowed just one single in his first save this season. Casey Steward tossed two scoreless and hitless innings and issued just one walk to go with three strikeouts.