TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn trailed early in game one to No. 21 Central Oklahoma and was unable to complete a comeback, falling 9-5 in the series opener. The Ichabods will aim to even the series in game two on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Bronchos (33-10, 19-9 MIAA) got the first two batters of the game on with a walk and a single. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners over and a groundout scored one. A single up the middle scored another to make it 2-0 after half an inning of play.
Caden Bressler settled in the next two innings and kept Central Oklahoma scoreless. In the bottom of the second Hayden Priest took a 3-2 pitch to straightaway center field for a home run to cut the lead in half and put Washburn (23-18, 16-11 MIAA) on the board.
In the fourth inning the Bronchos worked a two-out walk to put one on before hitting a home run to right field, pushing the lead up to 4-1. The score stayed the same through the fifth and sixth innings with only two combined hits. The first two batters in the seventh reached for the Bronchos on a double and a walk. The next hitter to the plate homered to left field to bring in three more runs.
Washburn's offense put up its first crooked number in the home half of the inning. Cal Watkins led off with a single and he was brought home on a double off the wall in left center by Connor Scott. Grant Jones shot a single straight up the middle, scoring Scott to cut the deficit to four runs after seven.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Central Oklahoma once again got the first two runners on base in the ninth, on back-to-back doubles, scoring a run. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third and they scored on a sacrifice fly to center, putting the deficit at six heading into the bottom of the ninth.
With two-outs in the ninth Seger Holman singled up the middle which was followed by consecutive walks from Payton McHarg and Cale Savage. Cash Jay singled up the middle as well to score two runs but that was all Washburn could manage in its last at-bat.
The Ichabod pitchers combined for seven strikeouts while walking five and allowing 11 hits. Bressler took the loss to move to 3-3 on the year. At the plate Washburn had 10 hits with Savage, Priest and Scott each having multi-hit days.
Caden Robertson had three hits and drove in two for the Bronchos, Brett Pense threw 6.1 innings to get the win.
