TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn battled back from an early deficit but fell in its conference-opener 8-6 to Pittsburg State on Friday afternoon. The Ichabods take on the Gorillas in game two of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Pitt State (10-3, 1-0 MIAA) started the scoring early with a two-run home run three batters into the game and a pair of hits following to put three runs on the board in the top of the first. Washburn (4-7, 0-1 MIAA) got a run back on a leadoff home run to dead center by Payton McHarg.
Griffin Huiatt settled in on the mound after the first inning tossing one-two-three innings in the second and third. In the third McHarg drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a hit and groundout. He was able to score his second run of the game on a wild pitch by the Gorillas.
Washburn scored again in the fourth inning with the action beginning with Hayden Priest knocking a double into deep center field. Connor Scott traded places with him doubling down the left field line. Jett Buck went to the same place, hitting a single past third base, scoring Scott and putting the Ichabods in front 4-3.
Pitt State responded right back with a one-out walk followed by a double and single which scored both runs. After a wild pitch and a two-out single the Gorillas led 6-4. Ashton Jenkins came on to pitch for Huiatt and got the final out of the inning.
The only run for either team in the sixth and seventh inning came on the home half of the sixth with Scott hitting a first pitch leadoff homerun to center field to make it a one-run game.
Washburn used Jenkins and Fidel Hatch to pitch scoreless sixth and seventh innings respectively. Hatch stayed on in the eighth and an error put the leadoff batter for the Gorillas on first base. The next batter homered to put the visitors up by three and that was the deficit the Ichabods faced heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Buck singled with one out and McHarg followed with a double off the right field wall and Buck was able to score on a throwing error to make it 8-6. That was all that Washburn could muster with Pitt State taking game one of the series.
The Ichabods picked up 11 hits in the game, with six going for extra bases, but walked only one time. Connor Scott and Payton McHarg each had three hits and scored two runs, with Scott also driving in a pair.
Washburn's trio of pitchers struck out 11 in the game, giving up seven earned runs on nine hits and six walks. Griffin Huiatt took the loss, moving to 0-1 on the year.
Landon Reith got the win for Pittsburg State on the mound. The Gorillas had nine hits in the game led by Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo who had three with two RBI.
