ALVA, Okla. – The Washburn baseball team scored a combined 26 runs in two victories at the Northwestern Oklahoma Ranger Festival on Saturday, first defeating the tournament-host 12-10 before winning the night cap against New Mexico Highlands, 14-4. The Ichabods play the final game of the weekend on Sunday at noon against Oklahoma Baptist.
 
GAME ONE (Washburn 12, Northwestern Oklahoma State 10)
The Ichabods got things going in the second inning when Kros Bay drew a leadoff walk and got to third after a single and a wild pitch. Easton Bruce drove in the first run with an RBI groundout.
 
The Rangers (2-3) answered in the home half of the second with a solo home run to level the score at one run apiece.
 
Neither team got a runner past second base again until the top of the sixth. With two outs, Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli walked and then Bruce recorded his first collegiate home run as he sent the ball over the right field fence to give the Ichabods a 3-1 advantage.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma hit another solo shot to pull within one in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Rangers struggled with pitching command in the top of the seventh and the Ichabods took advantage of the opportunity. Cal Watkins started the frame with a walk and then Connor Scott reached first on an error. Parker Dunn's walk loaded the bases and Brett Ingram brought in a run after he was hit by the pitch. Kros Bay drove in two with a double down the left field line and Clark-Chiapparelli's sacrifice fly scored Ingram. Bay scored the fifth run of the inning on a wild pitch to put Washburn in front, 8-2.
 
After NWOSU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, Washburn got those runs back with two in the top of the eighth. Scott ripped a two-out double and Dunn followed that up with a walk. Zion Bowlin legged out a two-RBI triple to make it a 10-4 game.
 
The scoring was far from done as the Rangers plated three runs in the eighth frame to trim the deficit to 10-7.
 
Washburn added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth, scoring two on Otto Jones' double.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma made one final push in the ninth inning and scored three runs on two hits, but Joel Casillas put the game away with a strike out.
 
Offensively, Scott, Bowlin, and Bruce all landed two hits in the game. Bruce notched three RBI and scored twice.
 
Julian Zamora received the win as he allowed just one run on two hits in two innings of work. Casillas was tabbed with the save and struck out four in 1.2 innings.
 
GAME TWO (Washburn 14, New Mexico Highlands 4)
The Ichabod (4-3) offense carried their momentum into the second game as Watkins hit a leadoff double to start the game. He scored two batters later when Bowlin singled to left field to give WU the early 1-0 lead.
 
The Cowboys (0-5) knotted up the score with a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the first.
 
In the second frame, Bruce doubled to right center and scored on an RBI single from Watkins to give the Ichabods the lead back at 2-1.
 
Washburn's offense exploded in the fourth inning with six runs on six hits. Leading off, it was Clark-Chiapparelli's turn to hit a double and Bruce brought him home with a single. The Ichabods hit three singles in a row and Dunn's one base hit through the right side with the bases juiced brought in two runs. Up next was Bowlin, who cleared the bases with one swing of the bat with a three-run bomb to make it 8-1 in favor of Washburn.
 
NMHU showed some power of its own, hitting a two-run homer in the fourth and then a solo home run in the seventh to cut Washburn's lead in half at 8-4.
 
Mistakes plagued the Cowboys in the top of the eighth. Jones reached first on an error to begin the frame and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Scott's single moved Jones up to third and then he scored on a passed ball. Dunn made it an 11-4 game as he launched a two-run home run.
 
It was déjà vu in the top of the ninth as the Ichabods scored three runs on three hits, capped off by another two-run shot from Dunn.
 
Jake Schroeder, who made his collegiate debut and struck out the side in the eighth inning, ended the game with three more strikeouts.
 
Washburn pounded out 20 hits in the win with nine extra base knocks, including five doubles from five different players. Dunn had a stellar game, going 4-6 with a pair of two-run home runs to finish with six RBI and three runs scored. Watkins, Scott, Clark-Chiapparelli, and Bruce all landed three hits.
 
Cole Warner won his first game of the season as he went five innings and allowed three runs and one walk to go with seven strikeouts.