TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn finished out the season series with Northwest Missouri State on Tuesday afternoon with a 12-7 win at home. The Ichabods stay at Falley Field for three games this weekend with Fort Hays State beginning on Friday at 5 p.m.
Neither team scored in the first inning with Griffin Huiatt setting down the Bearcats (17-21, 9-15 MIAA) and scattering one runner. Northwest Missouri got on the board first with a leadoff double in the second inning followed by a home run. A third run scored with another home run before the final three outs were made in order.
Washburn (20-16, 14-10 MIAA) got one run back in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run to center field by Hayden Priest. Payton McHarg led off the next inning reaching on an error in the field. Cale Savage brought him home with a triple down the right field line. Cash Jay was able to tie the game with a sharp single down the left field line to score Savage. Priest worked a walk and Jett Buck cleared the bases with a home run to left center to put the Ichabods up 6-3.
Huiatt retired the Bearcats in the top of the fourth to complete his outing going four innings while allowing four hits and striking out one across 68 pitches.
A pair of walks from Grant Jones and Savage put two on with one out in the fourth. Jay hit a single through the left side of the infield to bring home one run. Priest walked for a second time to load the bases. For the second time in as many innings Buck cleared the bases with a home run, this time to right field for a grand slam to complete the five-run inning.
The score stayed the same in the fifth as Charlie Kiefer delivered a scoreless inning on the bump. In the sixth Northwest Missouri got one run across with a walk, double and RBI groundout. Washburn got the run back in the home half of the seventh after Jones walked, stole second and scored on a double from Savage to go up 12-4.
The Bearcats began the eighth inning with four straight hits which scored three runs before Ashton Jenkins sat down two hitters and Otto Jones threw out a base stealer at second base. Sam Wragge entered with two runners on in the top of the ninth and was able to get three straight outs to finish the game and end the season series.
The Ichabods got 12 hits in the game led by three from Jett Buck who drove in seven runs, tying a program record set only once before. Cal Watkins also had three hits while Cale Savage and Cash Jay each had two hits and two runs driven in.
Five pitchers took the mound for Washburn who combined to throw five strikeouts while allowing nine hits and walking seven. Charlie Kifer moved to 3-1 on the year after picking up the win.
Brady Miles had two hits and drove in four runs for the Bearcats.
