TOPEKA, Kan. – Washburn baseball captured its fifth walk-off victory of the season on Tuesday as the Ichabods scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to claim a 9-8 decision over Northwest Missouri. The Ichabods will wrap up their 11-game homestand this weekend hosting Missouri Southern.
 
For the third game in a row, the Ichabods (16-8, 9-1 MIAA) scored in the opening inning, this time putting up four runs on three hits and an error. Trey Adams got the first run on the board with a solo home run to left field. With two outs, Cale Savage singled through the left side and moved up to second on a passed ball. Trevor McCollum drew a four pitch walk and Ike Book drove in a run with a single through the left side. Andrew Schmidtlein battled back from an 0-2 count and worked a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch scored McCollum to make it 3-0. A fielding error by the Bearcats' short stop allowed the final run of the frame to score.
 
The Bearcats (4-17, 2-8 MIAA) cut the Washburn lead in half with two solo home runs in the second inning. Northwest Missouri used the long ball in the third inning to level the score with a two-run homer.
 
Savage broke the tie score with a home run of his own in the bottom of the third, sending the ball over the fence in left field.
 
Northwest Missouri took its first lead of the afternoon with two runs in the top of the fourth to go in front, 6-5.
 
Washburn's leadoff man, Cal Watkins, started the fifth inning with a single through the right side and Adams followed with a single to left. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and both scored on a two-RBI single from Easton Bruce to give the Ichabods the lead back at 7-6.
 
After Charlie Kiefer got the Ichabods out of a jam in the top of the seventh and recorded a strikeout and foul pop up to leave the Bearcat bases loaded, Washburn added an insurance run in the home half of the frame to push the lead to 8-6. Adams led off with a single to center field and then swiped second base. He traded places with Savage on his double down the third base line on the 10th pitch of his at bat.
 
The Bearcats pulled within one in the eight after a two-out walk later came around to score on a single. NWMSU then leveled the score at 8-all in the top of the ninth when a one out walk scored after back-to-back singles.
 
The top of the Washburn lineup was due up in the bottom of the ninth and Watkins got things started strong, hitting a double deep down the left field line. Watkins tagged up and advanced to third on a flyout and after intentional walks to Bruce and Savage, McCollum ended the game on a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
Washburn led in hits, 14-8. Savage finished the day a triple shy of the cycle as he was 3-4 with a home run, RBI double, and two runs scored. Adams went 3-5 with a home run and scored three times. Watkins, Book, and Otto Jones all landed two hits.
 
Chase Torkelson improved his record to 4-1 on the year after he pitched the final 1 1/3.