TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn scored eight in the middle three innings on Tuesday evening and held on late to knock off Emporia State 9-7 in a nonconference game to wrap up the regular season home slate at Falley Field. The Ichabods head on the road quickly, taking on Southern Nazarene on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Griffin Huiatt threw two hit-less innings to the Hornets to begin the game, striking out four of the first seven batters he faced. Through the first two innings, both teams had just two combined hits. In the top of the fourth Emporia State (19-28) opened the scoring with a leadoff home run to right field.
Cash Jay led off the bottom of the inning with a double and the bases were loaded up after a walk from Hayden Priest and Connor Scott was hit by a pitch. Jett Buck punched a double into the right field corner, scoring two. Two batters later Blake Scott blasted a double off the wall in right center to score two more and complete a four-run inning for the Ichabods (25-19).
The Hornets got a leadoff single in the fifth, moving to second on a wild pitch. A single through the right side of the infield scored the run to make it 4-2. Washburn got out of the inning throwing out runners at both second base and home in a double steal attempt.
Jay, Priest and Connor Scott led off the sixth with three straight singles, Scott coming on a bunt, to load the bases. Cal Watkins hit a sacrifice fly to score Jay. Buck followed with his second straight knock for an RBI, hitting a single through the left side of the infield to bring Priest around.
After entering in the top of the fifth Sam Wragge tossed a scoreless sixth, getting another double play to end the inning. In the home half Blake Scott took a leadoff walk and two batters later he was brought home on a home run to left center from Cale Savage.
Connor Scott led off the seventh inning with a triple off the wall in right center. Trey Adams came through with a pinch-hit single into left field to score him and push the lead up to 9-2.
Emporia State loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk and cleared them hitting a grand slam to right field. The damage was limited to the one swing in the inning. In the ninth the Hornets scored another run on a pair of walks and a single. Logan Bartlett took over on the mound, striking out the final two hitters of the game to finish off the win.
The Ichabods had 11 hits in the game, Cash Jay, Hayden Priest, Connor Scott and Jett Buck each had two-hit days with Buck driving in three runs.
Washburn used six total pitchers with Huiatt taking the largest share, throwing 4.1 innings and giving up just two while striking out six. Sam Wragge moved to 1-0 on the year while picking up the win and Logan Bartlett earned his first save of the season.
