TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn trailed by as many as eight runs before scoring the final nine runs of the game Sunday afternoon to take down Pittsburg State 10-9 in 10 innings and secure a second straight series victory. The Ichabods play one game against Rockhurst at 3 p.m. on Tuesday at Falley Field.
Chase Torkelson started the game for Washburn (6-7, 2-1 MIAA) throwing a scoreless first inning but in the second inning the Gorillas (10-5, 1-2 MIAA) got their bats going, hitting five home runs in the inning including four in a row. All five homers were solo shots and the visitors led 5-0 after the second. Grant Zwald gave up one run but got the final two outs of the inning.
A leadoff triple was followed by a single in the top of the third and Pittsburg State was on the board again, Zwald got two outs before Cole Warner took over and finished the inning.
Neither team scored until the Ichabods got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. Trey Adams singled to begin the inning and Payton McHarg doubled into right field to score him. That was all that Washburn could get across in the inning as the score stayed the same after 2.2 scoreless innings on the mound from Warner.
Sam Wragge finished the sixth inning for Warner but in the seventh the Gorillas were able to score three runs on two hits with both going for home runs. Jayden Payne got the final two outs to finish the inning with Pittsburg State up 9-1.
Cash Jay led off the eighth inning for the Ichabods with a pinch-hit single. McHarg was hit by a pitch and Cale Savage took a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left center to plate three runs. One batter later Shane Morrow hit his third pinch-hit home run of the season to score another run. Hayden Priest kept the line moving with a single and Connor Scott plated him, doubling to right center to make it 9-6 heading into the ninth.
Gavin Wilhelm tossed a scoreless eighth inning and began the ninth getting two outs before hitting the next batter. Caden Bressler entered and got the final out.
In the Ichabods' last at-bat McHarg was hit by a pitch and Savage walked to put two on base with no outs. Washburn was unable to bring them around until they were down to its last out and Priest took the first pitch he saw over the deepest part of center field to tie the game and send it to extras.
Bressler walked one but kept the Gorillas off the board in the top of the 10th inning to give the Ichabods another chance at the win.
Jett Buck led off the inning with a single and was moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Cal Watkins. Cash Jay hit the winner down the left field line to walk it off with a 10-9 win.
Washburn notched 15 hits in the game, with six going for hits and three home runs. Connor Scott had a team-high three hits while Jay, McHarg, Bruce and Priest all had multi-hit games. Priest and Savage each drove in three runs, all of them on home runs.
The Ichabods used seven pitchers who combined for seven strikeouts with 10 hits and issued eight walks. Bressler earned the win after throwing the final 1.1 innings, he moved to 2-1 on the year.
Pittsburg State had 10 hits in the game with seven of them going for home runs. Jake Grauberger and Brannan Nixon each hit two out in the game, with Nixon collecting four RBI.
