TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn baseball came up short in a chilly home-opener falling 7-4 to Truman State on Saturday afternoon. The Ichabods take on the Bulldogs in game two of the series on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Neither team got on the board in the first inning with Griffin Huiatt getting the first start of the season at Falley Field and delivering a 1-2-3 inning in both the first and second innings.
Washburn (2-6) got the scoring started with Cash Jay doubling down the left field line and Ike Book reaching with a single into right field. Hayden Priest brought them both home with a two-out double into center field to make it 2-0.
A walk and a hit batter put two runners on for Truman State (1-4) in the third. After a sacrifice bunt advanced them a base they were able to get on the board with a wild pitch. A miscue on a popup in the infield resulted in a double and another run scoring. The Bulldogs took the lead on an error in the field from WU to complete the three-run inning.
Truman State stayed in front for the next two batters until Cale Savage knocked a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall for a two-out solo home run to tie the game.
Jay led off the bottom of the fourth inning and reached on an error, followed by a walk from Book. Connor Scott bunted for a single to load the bases and Cal Watkins brought Jay home from third with an RBI groundout.
Huiatt finished his day with five innings pitched allowing three runs, two of them earned, striking out five and walking two. Kai Bennett took over on the mound for him in the top of the sixth and was only able to go 0.1 innings as the first two batters reached on hits and one scored on a third strike wild pitch. Grant Zwald replaced him and the first batter doubled to score two more runs and put Truman State in front, 6-4.
Washburn's offense didn't manage a hit in the sixth and seventh innings, a pair of one-out singles put two on in the eighth but they were unable to close the gap heading into the ninth.
Fidel Hatch entered in the eight inning with the bases loaded but worked around the jam and remained on for the ninth. After the first two batters went down the Bulldogs notched a double and a single into right field to add on another run. The Ichabod offense went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
Washburn tallied seven hits in the game with Cash Jay and Ike Book each picking up two of them. Hayden Priest drove in two runs and WU worked three total walks.
The Ichabod pitching staff fanned nine batters while issuing six walks and allowing nine hits with five earned runs. Bennett took the loss in the decision moving to 0-2 on the year.
Luke Turner had three hits and drove in three runs to lead the Bulldog offense. Isaac Epp provided a six inning start allowing three earned runs and picking up the win.
