EMPORIA, Kan. -- Washburn came back from down three runs in the eighth inning to take round one of the Turnpike Tussle 9-8 on Friday afternoon in Emporia. The Ichabods and Hornets will play game two on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Playing as the road team for the first time in two weeks Washburn (8-7, 3-1 MIAA) jumped on the board right away with Payton McHarg hitting a leadoff double and moving to second on a single from Cale Savage. Cash Jay followed with a single to score McHarg and Ike Book moved Savage over with a sac bunt. Hayden Priest hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Savage and Connor Scott singled into left field to complete the three-run first inning.
Gruffin Huiatt got the start for the Ichabods and tossed a pair of scoreless frames with four strikeouts to get the game started. In the third Savage hit a one-out triple to center field and one pitch later Jay hit a home run to left field to put the visitors up 5-0 after two and a half innings.
The Hornets (9-7, 2-2 MIAA) were able to get on the board in the third with back-to-back solo home runs followed by a single and a triple to make it a two-run game after three innings. One inning later a pair of walks followed by a two-out home run game Emporia State the a 6-5 lead.
Grant Zwald took over on the mound in the fifth and held the Hornets scoreless through the sixth inning. In the seventh two walks and two wild pitches followed by a walk scored one run and after an error in the third a second scored for ESU. Cole Warner recorded the final two outs of the inning, working through the error.
Washburn started to chip away at the three-run deficit in the third after Jay went yard for a second time in the game, this time to left-center field with one out. Sam Wragge pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth in just 11 pitches with one punchout.
Two one-out walks put the tying run on base in the top of the ninth and Trevor McCollum delivered with a triple into the gap in right center, scoring both Cal Watkins and Grant Jones. McHarg singled through the right side to put the Ichabods in front 9-8 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Caden Bressler struck out the first batter he faced and after a walk and a single he would get the final out he needed with a ground ball to second, securing his second save of the season and giving Washburn a win in game one of the series.
The Ichabods knocked around 11 hits in the game led by Cash Jay who went 3-5 at the plate with two home runs, driving in four and scoring three times himself. Connor Scott, Cale Savage and Payton McHarg all had multi-hit games as well.
Washburn used a quartet of pitchers to get the game-one victory as they combined for a season-high 16 strikeouts led by Huiatt who had eight and Zwald with five in 2.1 innings. Sam Wragge got the win, his first decision of the year.
Emporia State had eight hits with Austin Hamm as the only hitter to manage multiple hits with two while also driving in four.
