TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn played its longest game in over three calendar years Saturday afternoon, coming out on the wrong end of the 12-inning affair, 5-4 to Missouri Western in game two. The Ichabods will wrap up the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Cooper Carlgren got the start for Washburn (13-14, 6-9 MIAA) and was able to work around a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and keep the Griffons (5-19, 4-11 MIAA) off the board. Jackson Mervosh led off the home half with a walk. After a single from Cash Jay it was followed by another single, off the bat of Jett Buck to score the first run of the game.
After two more scoreless from Carlgren on the mound the Ichabods got on the board in the third. Hayden Priest and Jay started the inning off with singles, a bunt moved both over. Easton Bruce slashed a single to score one and Payton McHarg followed with a drag bunt for a single, scoring another. An RBI groundout by Blake Scott completed the three-run inning to go up 4-0.
Missouri Western was able to get on the board in the top of the sixth inning, taking advantage of a pair of errors by the Ichabods to score three runs and pull within one.
Caden Bressler took over on the mound in the seventh inning, tossing a scoreless seventh and retiring the Griffons in order in the eighth. After Washburn left two on base in the eighth, Missouri Western led off with two singles in the ninth. One came around to score on another single, tying the game. Blake Priest came on to record the final out of the inning.
After the Ichabods came up short in the bottom of the ninth neither team scored in the 10th or 11th with scoreless innings on the mound from Priest and Max Clark. A one-out triple for the Griffons was followed by a sacrifice fly in the 12th, putting the visitors up 5-4. Washburn managed two hits in the bottom of the inning but could not bring the tying run around.
Both teams had 10 hits in the game while the Ichabods were able to work five walks to just two for Missouri Western. Four players took the mound for Washburn, led by Cooper Carlgren who went six innings allowing just three unearned runs with five strikeouts. All three relievers picked up more than an inning of work and allowed no more than one run.
At the plate Cash Jay went 3-5 while both Payton McHarg and Connor Scott had multi-hit games.
Lou Levy pitched 3.2 scoreless innings for Missouri Western, while Jacob Ross earned the win.
