FORT SMITH, Ar. -- After a two-hour postponement due to rain Washburn used an eight-run fifth inning to erase an early deficit and win 11-8 over Arkansas-Fort Smith in game one of the three-game series. Game two is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Both teams managed just three combined hits through the first two innings with Caden Bressler delivering a pair of scoreless frames to begin the game. In the third Washburn (15-15, 8-10 MIAA) took advantage of a pair of errors by the Lions (9-19, 4-14 MIAA) with Cash Jay bringing home the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly.
In the home half of the inning Arkansas-Fort Smith led off with a homer. After a pair of hits another home run made it 4-1 after three. In the fourth the Lions loaded the bases with no outs but were only able to score two runs, each coming with outs to limit the damage.
The Ichabod offense got going the next inning, beginning with singles by Owen Laessig and Blake Scott. A sacrifice fly by Hayden Priest scored one run and Jay followed with a two-out homer to make it 6-4. Jett Buck, Easton Bruce and Connor Scott strung together three straight singles, adding another run. The game was tied with the Ichabods scoring one on an error. Laessig gave Washburn the lead with a three-run home run to left center, completing an eight-run inning.
Arkansas-Fort Smith got one run back in the bottom half with a walk and a pair of hits. After entering in the fifth Max Clark stayed on the mound and delivered a scoreless sixth inning as neither side changed the score. Payton McHarg led off the seventh with a single and was brought home on the third round-tripper of the game for Washburn, this one off the bat of Blake Scott to go up 11-7.
Kai Bennett and Logan Bartlett each threw scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth respectively to hold the score. The Ichabods left two on base in the top of the ninth as the score remained the same. A leadoff double came around to score for the Lions in the bottom of the ninth but Bartlett was able to get the final two outs in order to finish off the 11-8 series-opening win.
Each team managed 12 hits in the game with Arkansas-Fort Smith working six walks to four for Washburn. Three errors by the home team to just one for the Ichabods provided a boost.
Four players took the ball on the mound combining for 10 strikeouts led by three each from Kai Bennett and Max Clark who received the win in the game. Caden Bressler threw 4.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
At the plate each of Cash Jay, Blake Scott and Owen Laessig went yard. Laessig had three RBI in his first career start, as did Jay. Payton McHarg also had a multi-hit day at the plate.
