ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Washburn got a balanced hitting effort and came back from deficits twice to win 10-8 in game one against Missouri Western. The Ichabods and Griffons will play game two on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Washburn (10-8, 5-2 MIAA) struck first in the top of the first, scoring the opening run of the game on a Cash Jay double, scoring Cale Savage who singled. Jay moved to third on a groundout and scored on an error in the field on a ball hit by Hayden Priest.
Caden Bressler got his first start of the season for the Ichabods and tossed a scoreless first inning. In the second Missouri Western (12-7, 4-3 MIAA) began the inning with a single and a triple, scoring one run. They plated another on an RBI sac bunt to even the game up.
The Griffons took the lead in the third inning on a pair of hits along with a wild pitch, going up 3-2. Washburn came right back in its next at bat taking the lead on a two-out double by Cal Watkins on the only hit in the inning for the Ichabods. MWSU tied the game back up scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the inning on a fielders choice.
In the top of the fifth Washburn finally created some separation with the highest scoring inning for either team in the game. Priest singled with two outs to start a string of four straight singles. Priest's hit scored Easton Bruce who had singled earlier in the inning. Ike Book brought home Priest and Jett Buck scored Connor Scott with his base knock to go up 7-4.
The Griffons cut the lead down to one in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two on three consecutive hits. Bressler finished his day on the mound after the fifth, finishing with a pair of strikeouts and nine hits allowed over five innings.
Griffin Huaitt took over on the mound in the sixth inning as neither team scored in either half of the inning for the first and only time all day. That changed with the first batter of the seventh as Easton Bruce went yard to make it an 8-6 game. Missouri Western answered with a solo homer of its own in the home half of the inning.
The game was tied up for a second time with the Griffons scoring on a passed ball following a double and a wild pitch. For a second straight inning Washburn got a leadoff home run, this time Cash Jay broke the tie in the ninth. Bruce singled and Priest replaced him on base with a fielders choice. Book singled to center with two outs to add another run of cushion.
Missouri Western picked up a hit and a walk in the ninth but Huiatt was able to close to door on game one of the series for a 10-8 road win.
The Ichabods tallied 15 hits in the game with Easton Bruce and Ike Book both picking up three. Book added two runs driven in as did Cash Jay and Cal Watkins. Bressler and Huiatt combined to toss the entire game for Washburn with Huiatt picking up the win after going four innings and allowing two runs on three hits with six strikeouts.
Noah Cook led the Griffons offense going 5-5 at the plate while driving in two runs and scoring three himself.
