EMPORIA, Kan. -- Washburn came out on top of a second straight high-scoring game with Emporia State on Saturday afternoon, evening the series with a 14-13 win behind six home runs and three from Payton McHarg. The series rubber match is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Payton McHarg began his big day on the first pitch of the game, sending it over the wall in left field, putting the Ichabods (20-20, 13-14) up 1-0 after one. Caden Bressler got the start for Washburn and retired the Hornets (17-18, 10-14 MIAA) without a hit in the first.
Emporia State was able to string together a pair of hits before evening the score on an RBI grounder in the second. In the third after a one-out single by Trevor McCollum a second home run by McHarg, this time to left center, put the Ichabods back in front. The Hornets got one run back in the bottom of the inning and that is how the score would stay into the fifth.
The fifth inning began the same as the third, with a one-out single by McCollum followed by a two-run shot from McHarg, his third in as many at-bats. Three straight singles from Hayden Priest, Jett Buck and Jackson Mervosh scored one run and set up Connor Scott for a two-out two-RBI single up the middle to extend the lead to 8-2.
The Ichabods took advantage of an error by the Hornets in the sixth, scoring two runs on a double by Buck to go up 10-2. In the bottom of the inning the home squad got the runs back with three straight singles scoring a pair of runs.
Emporia State continued to chip away, getting a solo home run in the seventh before loading the bases with two outs. A single scored two runs before a third came around to score on a pickoff attempt, cutting the lead to two. Grant Zwald and Griffin Huiatt combined to throw a scoreless eighth, sending the game to the ninth.
Washburn added some insurance in its final at-bat with a single by Buck followed by a one-out home run for Darian Duhon. Blake and Connor Scott followed suit, each going to left field to make it back-to-back-to-back home runs and create a six-run cushion. In the bottom of the inning Emporia State got a two-run home run and after putting two more on base a three-run home run brought the lead down to one. The Ichabods were able to secure the final out.
In a second straight high-scoring affair, this time it was Washburn out-hitting the Hornets, 16-14. Emporia State did manage nine walks to just two for the Ichabods while committing two errors in the game.
Five pitchers combined for five strikeouts as Caden Bressler earned the win and Griffin Huiatt the save, both their first of the season. At the plate five players had multi-hit days led by Payton McHarg's 3-4 outing with five RBI on three home runs, becoming the first player in program history to have two games with three long balls. Jett Buck also had three hits, driving in three runs.
