EDMOND, Okla. – The Washburn baseball team is moving on to the MIAA Tournament Championship on Saturday after capitalizing on several miscues in Friday's 8-5 victory over Northeastern State. The Ichabods will face No. 3 Central Missouri in the championship game on Saturday at noon. Washburn defeated UCM in the opening game of the championship tournament on Thursday, 15-13. 
 
For the second-consecutive game, Washburn (33-18) got on the board first and put up two unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning. Zion Bowlin started things with a leadoff single. On Parker Dunn's groundout, Bowlin rounded second base and headed towards third as no one was covering the bag and the throw from NSU's first baseman to third was high and got away, allowing Bowlin to score the first run. Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli kept things going with a single up the middle, swiped second base and advanced to third as the ball got away on the throw. Clark-Chiapparelli later scored when Kros Bay reached on another error, this time a fielding miscue by the third baseman.
 
Northeastern State (37-15) responded and took the lead with three runs on two doubles in the top of the third.
 
The Ichabods went down in order in the third and fourth innings before making some noise in the fifth. Holding a 3-2 count, Easton Bruce singled to left and moved into scoring position on Bay's sacrifice bunt. Up next was Connor Scott, who ripped a double to right field to drive in the tying run. With two outs and a runner still at second, Northeastern State elected to intentionally walk Brett Ingram and face Quinn Waterbury. On the second pitch of his at bat, Waterbury launched a three-run shot over the wall in center field to give the Ichabods a 6-3 advantage.
 
Braden Babcock took over on the mound with one out in the fourth and retired nine batters in a row, including striking out the side in the sixth.
 
In the top of the seventh, the RiverHawks got a one out single and then pulled within one run, 6-5, when a hit down the left field line was called fair for a two-run home run.
 
Northeastern State threatened again in the eighth and had runners on first and second with one out, but the Ichabods were able to get a fielder's choice and a groundout to get out of the inning without any damage.
 
In the home half of the eighth, Waterbury drew a six-pitch walk and then everyone was called safe on a fielder's choice hit by Bowlin after an errant throw by the short stop. Waterbury and Bowlin both moved into scoring position on Dunn's sacrifice bunt. Clark-Chiapparelli came up to the plate and knocked in two big insurance runs with a single through the left side to push Washburn's lead to 8-5.
 
The RiverHawks landed a one out single in the top of the ninth, but Dalton Huggins got the last two outs with two pitches to secure the win.
 
Both teams had seven hits on the day, but Northeastern State's three errors proved costly. Clark-Chiapparelli went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Waterbury led the team with three RBI and scored twice. Bowlin also scored two times and had a single.
 
Babcock improved to 2-0 on the hill as he allowed two runs on three hits in three and 2/3 innings of work while striking out a season-high six batters. Huggins earned his fifth save of the year after throwing two scoreless innings and surrendering just one walk and two hits.
 
NOTES

• The Ichabods are 25-29 overall in MIAA postseason play.
• Washburn is 2-2 against Central Missouri this season.
• The Ichabods scored double-figure runs in both victories.
• Washburn has played Central Missouri 12 times in the MIAA Tournament and have gone 5-7.
• The last time Washburn reached the MIAA Tournament championship game was 2000.
• WU Head Coach Harley Douglas was a senior on that team.
• Washburn has never won an MIAA Tournament championship.
• Central Missouri has won the last three conference tournament titles.