ALVA, Okla. – The Ichabod baseball team took advantage of eight errors committed by Oklahoma Baptist to win the first game of the Northwestern Oklahoma State Ranger Festival, 7-3. The Ichabods will play a two games on Saturday, first against tournament-host Northwestern Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. and then close out the day against New Mexico Highlands at 6 p.m.
Both teams wasted no time getting on the board and scored in the first inning. The Bison (2-2) drew a one out walk and then scored on a triple to take an early 1-0 advantage.
With two outs in the bottom of the first,
Parker Dunn got things going with an infield single.
Zion Bowlin followed that up with a single of his own up the middle and both runners moved up an extra base after an error by the center fielder.
Brett Ingram kept the line moving with a single to right field that scored both runners to put Washburn in front, 2-1.
The Ichabods (2-3) continued to capitalize on Oklahoma Baptist's miscues in the fourth.
Easton Bruce hit a one out double and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Cal Watkins made contact and hit the ball towards the middle of the infield, but an error by the second baseman allowed Bruce to come home and make it a 3-1 game.
After the first inning,
Rane Pfeifer settled in and retired the side in the second through fourth innings before running into some trouble in the fifth. Pfeifer got two quick groundouts when the Bison put runners on first and second with a single and walk. OBU landed another single and waved its runner home, but a perfect throw from Bruce in left field caught the runner at home plate to end the inning without any damage.
Washburn extended its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth after back-to-back errors with two outs allowed Bowlin to score.
Oklahoma Baptist loaded the bases with its first three batters of the sixth frame and scored on a sacrifice fly and a ground out to pull within one run, 4-3.
Washburn created some breathing room and put the game away in the eighth with three unearned runs. With runners on second and third and two out,
Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli reached first after the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag and allowed Bowlin to make it home. Ingram scored from third on the next at bat after another error by OBU.
Pfiefer earned his first win of the young season, going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs on four hits with four walks while recording seven strikeouts.
Dalton Huggins turned in another strong showing out of the bullpen as he threw 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit, a single, which was quickly erased by a game ending 5-4-3 double play. He was tabbed with the save and struck out six.
Five different Ichabods scored in the contest led by Bowlin who crossed home plate three times and went 2-4 at the dish. Dunn, Ingram, and Bruce all landed one hit and scored one run.
