HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Washburn baseball battled back and tied the game in the bottom of the eighth, but surrendered a home run in the ninth to fall short in the season opener to Ouachita Baptist, 7-6, on Friday afternoon. The Ichabods will play their second game of the Dugan Invitational on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Southeastern Oklahoma.
The Tigers (1-0) got on the board in the first inning, scoring two runs on a single to center field. Washburn starter
Casey Steward ended the inning without further damage and got back-to-back strikeouts to leave the bases loaded.
Washburn (0-1) had an answer in the bottom of the first. Leadoff man
Cal Watkins reached base on an error to get things started.
Trey Adams landed a single and
Easton Bruce walked to load the bases. With one out,
Trevor McCollum worked a walk to bring the first run in. Then, in his first at bat as an Ichabod,
Ike Book ripped a double to center field to give the Ichabods a 3-2 advantage.
Ouachita Baptist kept the scoring trend going in the top of the second as a leadoff walk scored after two singles to level the score at 3-all.
The score stayed tied until the top of the fifth when the Tigers capitalized on three-straight walks and then back-to-back Ichabod miscues to score twice. With one out, Ouachita Baptist scored one more run on a fielder's choice before running into the third out of the inning on the same play.
Washburn got one back in the home half of the fifth to trim the deficit to 6-4. McCollum drew a two out walk and then scored on another double from Book.
Chase Torkelson returned to the mound in the sixth for his second inning of work and struck out the side to keep it at a two-run game.
In the top of the seventh, the Tigers recorded a leadoff two-base hit and then got a runner on first with a walk, but the Ichabod defense got their third double play on the ground to end the inning.
The Ichabods drew one run closer in the bottom of the seventh after Bruce was walked again and then stole second to get into scoring position. Book drove him in with a single to left field to make it 6-5.
Austin Gerety took over pitching duties in the eighth and made quick work of the Tigers, striking out the side.
Caden Bressler led off the home half of the eighth and singled to right and then advanced to second on a passed ball.
Otto Jones' sacrifice bunt was successful in getting Bressler one base closer. Up next was Watkins, who stepped up to the plate and singled to right field to drive in the tying run. The Ichabods were unable to add any more to their total, though, after a pickoff and a fly out.
The score didn't stay tied for long as the Tigers' first batter in the ninth hit the go-ahead home run over the right field fence.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Book reached base on a walk, but would get no farther as the game ended on a strikeout.
Both teams finished the afternoon with nine hits and one error. Book was 3-4 at the plate with two doubles, a walk, and four RBI. Adams added two hits and scored once. Bruce drew two walks and scored twice.
The Washburn pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts. Steward received a no-decision after going three and 2/3 innings and allowing six hits and three walks to go with four strikeouts. Gerety was tabbed with the loss and gave up two hits, one run, and struck out three. Torkelson threw three innings and recorded four strikeouts and allowed one run, one hit, and two walks.
