JACKSON, Tenn. -- Washburn baseball (2-5) led early in both games of Friday's doubleheader but were unable to hold on throughout, losing a pair of one-run games to Union, 9-8 and 15-14. The Ichabods wrap up the series with the Bulldogs (4-3) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Game one:
Washburn jumped on the Bulldogs early, scoring five in the first inning. Trevor McCollum walked to lead off the game and Payton McHarg homered to right field to bring him home. A one-out walk from Cale Savage put him on first for Cash Jay two pick up two RBI with a home run over the left field wall. Grant Jones singled, stole second and was moved to third before scoring on a wild pitch to complete the inning.
Chase Torkelson got the start for Washburn and punched out two batters in his first scoreless inning. Jett Buck doubled to lead off the second, McCollum followed with a single to bring him home. Easton Bruce added another run to the tally with a one-out single into center field.
The Bulldogs got on the board in the second with a one-out single, wild pitch, and another single to bring the run in. In the fourth inning Union got a leadoff double and two more hits in the inning to score two runs and make it a 7-3 game.
For a second consecutive inning Union put a run on the board with one more in the fifth. Torkelson ended his day in the middle of the fifth, with a final line of 4.1 innings, four runs allowed and five strikeouts.
Washburn couldn't add to the lead in the top of the sixth and the Bulldogs were able to complete the comeback with three runs in the home half coming on two hits, three walks and a hit batter.
Grant Zwald took over on the mound in the seventh, throwing a scoreless inning. The Ichabod offense failed to score again in the top of the eighth and in the bottom of the inning Union took the lead with a leadoff single and back-to-back two-out singles with each scoring a run to go up 9-8.
Jay walked to lead off the ninth and after stealing second he scored on a single by Hayden Priest but that was all the Ichabods could muster, falling 9-8 in game one.
Washburn finished the game with 10 hits and drew eight walks. Easton Bruce delivered three hits while McHarg and Jay each drove in two. The Ichabod pitching staff struck out nine, walked nine and allowed nine runs, Zwald was issued with the loss.
Game two:
Just like game one Washburn struck in the first inning with a double from McCollum to lead things off. McHarg was intentionally walked and Cale Savage drove them both home with a double into left center. Griffin Huiatt got the start for the Ichabods, and Union was able to cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the first on an RBI groundout.
Washburn added more in the second, a double by Priest scored Connor Scott, who reached via error. McCollum scored Teagan Tamiya, who walked earlier in the inning, on an RBI grounder. Savage walked and Jay cleared the bases with a double into center field making the game 7-1. The Ichabods added two more in the third with back-to-back triples from Tamiya and Priest followed by a McCollum sacrifice fly, growing the lead to 9-1.
Union got a few runs back in the second inning with five singles strung together and a walk with two wild pitches to plate four runs and cut the deficit in half. The Bulldogs got two on with two out in the fourth on a walk and hit batter, a single brought home a run and left the bases loaded. Max Clark came out of the bullpen and struck out the first batter he faced to end the inning with WU in front 9-6.
The score stayed the same until Connor Scott knocked in a pair of runs in the sixth inning that had reached on an error and after a hit by pitch. The Ichabods took advantage of another error to plate another and lead 12-6. The Bulldogs strung together three singles to score one in the bottom of the inning.
A Shane Morrow pinch hit home run extended the lead to 13-7 in the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the frame Union got five runs off Gavin Wilhelm and another off Jayden Payne to tie the game at 13 and force extras.
Washburn got a two-out single from Priest in the top of the eighth to score a pinch running Chase Littrell and go up by one. In the bottom of the inning the Bulldogs had three batters reach in a row on a HBP, a game-tying double and a walk before the game-winning sacrifice fly to center field.
The Ichabods managed 10 hits in the game with Hayden Priest recording three of them and also driving in three runs. Cash Jay picked up three RBI as well. Washburn's pitching staff threw six arms and recorded 10 strikeouts while issuing seven walks and allowing 17 hits, Charlie Kiefier took the loss after entering in the bottom of the eighth.
Grant Ross had four hits and drove in four runs to lead the Union offense.
