TOPEKA, KAN. -- Washburn trailed early but got strong pitching and timely hitting to come out on top of the Monday afternoon rubber match against Truman State 4-3. The Ichabods open MIAA play on Friday against Pittsburg State at 3 p.m.
Chase Torkelson got the start for Washburn (4-6) and delivered a clean first inning of work. In the second two singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Bulldogs (1-6) with no outs. Back-to-back groundouts scored two runs before the inning was ended on a pop up in foul territory.
The Ichabods got one run back in the home half of the inning with Jett Buck taking a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for his first home run of the year, cutting the lead in half.
The score stayed the same until the bottom of the fourth which was led off by Ike Book beating out an infield hit to first base. Hayden Priest wasted no time, hitting the first pitch he saw for a home run into left field to put Washburn back in front.
Truman State loaded the bases with no outs once again in the fifth inning after a hit, walk and a hit batter but a strikeout from Torkelson and a double play finished off the inning with no damage done. Torkelson's day was complete after five innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Washburn managed just one baserunner in the fifth and sixth innings as Logan Bartlett took over on the mound in the sixth. The leadoff batter for the Bulldogs reached in the seventh on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a single through the left side of the infield, tying the game at three.
Bartlett got through the first two batters of the eighth inning before Caden Bressler took over with two outs. Priest secured the final out of the inning throwing out his second would-be base-stealer of the game.
In the bottom of the inning Easton Bruce led off with a double and moved to third on a groundout by Book. With the infield in Priest shot a single through the left side of the infield to score Bruce and take the lead.
Bressler stayed on for the top of the ninth inning and gave up one hit but ended the game with a strikeout and secured a series win for the Ichabods.
Washburn racked up 13 hits in the game with Jett Buck leading with three hits. Trevor McCollum, Priest and Bruce each had two hits with Buck and Priest both going yard and Priest driving in three runs.
The Ichabod pitching staff tallied three strikeouts while allowing just eight hits and one earned run and issuing just three walks. Bressler earned the win in the decision, moving to 1-1 on the year.
Luke Turner led Truman State with two hits and on the mound Zachry Schneider threw 7.1 inning and allowed four runs.
