TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn baseball team fell in the series opener to No. 4-ranked Central Missouri on Friday evening, 9-3. Game two of the series will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Falley Field. 
 
The Mules (24-3, 18-0 MIAA) got on the board in the second inning after a leadoff double came around to score on a single up the middle. 
 
The Ichabods (21-10, 12-6 MIAA) got that run back in the home half of the frame when Cal Watkins got things going with a two out single and then scored on Otto Jones' double down the right field line. 
 
Central Missouri went back in front with one run on two hits in the third. 
 
Again, Washburn had an answer in the bottom of the third. Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli hit a leadoff double down the line in left field and tagged up on a fly out to move up to third base. Up next was Brett Ingram, who singled through the left side to drive in the tying run. 
 
The Mules reclaimed the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth and went on to score one in the sixth and three in the seventh to go up, 9-2.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Zion Bowlin hit an infield single and advanced to third on Connor Scott's single up the middle. Kros Bay collected an RBI on his groundout that scored Bowlin to make it a 9-3 game.
 
Clark-Chiapparelli hit a two out single through the left side, but was left stranded there as Central Missouri got the final out on a groundout to end the game.
 
UCM out hit WU, 12-10, and both teams left eight runners on base. Jones went 2-4 at the dish and had one of Washburn's three doubles. Clark-Chiapparelli and Watkins landed two hits apiece and both scored once.
 
Making his first collegiate start, Wyatt Hardy (1-2) received the loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in three innings. Dalton Huggins threw three innings in relief and allowed one run on three hits while striking out three. Braden Babcock pitched the final two innings and allowed zero runs on one hit and one walk to go with three strikeouts.