TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn baseball squad competed toe-to-toe with No. 4-ranked Central Missouri on Sunday afternoon, but their lead slipped away in the top of the ninth as the Mules claimed the series with a 5-3 victory. The Ichabods are scheduled to play five games in six days next week starting on the road in Liberty, Mo. against William Jewell on Tuesday afternoon.
The Mules (25-4, 19-1 MIAA) got on the board in their first at bat after a leadoff walk later scored on an RBI single.
Zion Bowlin got things started for Washburn (22-11, 13-7) with a leadoff bunt single on the first pitch.
Connor Scott ripped a double down the left field line to put runners on the corners for
Cal Watkins, who drove in a run with a single through the right side. With
Trevor McCollum up to bat, a wild pitch allowed Scott to score and put the Ichabods in front, 2-1.
Washburn starter
Jack Brimacombe left a UCM runner stranded on base in the third and fourth innings and retired the side in order in the fifth.
The Mules found their groove in the sixth and leveled the score after a pair of singles.
Joel Casillas took over on the mound with a runner on first and one out and got out of the inning with a fielder's choice and a groundout.
The Ichabods got that run back in the home half of the sixth to reclaim the lead.
Brett Ingram led off with a single through the left side and moved up to second on a wild pitch. With one out and runners on first and second, Watkins reached on a fielder's choice and the throw attempt towards first went sailing away and Ingram used his wheels to score the go-ahead run.
Casillas remained on the bump for an efficient eight pitch 1-2-3 frame in the seventh.
In the top of the eighth,
Dalton Huggins got two quick outs and
Rane Pfeifer ended the inning with a strikeout.
Washburn looked to add some insurance in the bottom of the eighth after
Parker Dunn led off with a walk, but he was left stranded on second base.
The top of the ninth started with two outs before the Mules got runners on by way of a hit by pitch and a walk. UCM's Donovan Ditto entered the game as a pinch hitter and hit a three-run home run to left field to give the Mules a 5-3 lead.
Central Missouri went on the close the door with a clean frame in the bottom of the ninth to complete the comeback.
Both teams had five hits in the contest. Ingram went 2-3 at the dish and scored a run. Bowlin and Scott landed one hit apiece and scored once.
Brimacombe received a no-decision after he went 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with a walk and a hit batter while recording two strikeouts. Casillas and Huggins combined for two clean innings and a pair of strikeouts. Pfeifer (2-3) received the loss as he allowed three runs on one hit, two walks, and a hit batter and had a strikeout in his 1.1 innings of work.
