EMPORIA, Kan. -- The Washburn offense stayed hot and combined with a strong start on the mound to win a 12-6 road rubber match over Emporia State on Sunday afternoon. The Ichabods return home for a midweek game with No. 20 Fort Hays State on Tuesday, April 15.  

For a second straight game Payton McHarg led off the game with a home run, this time taking the second pitch of the afternoon over the wall in left center. The Hornets were able to move a leadoff single around to score and tie the game in the bottom of the first.  

Darian Duhon led off the second inning for the Ichabods (21-20, 14-14 MIAA) getting hit by a pitch before getting moved to second. With two outs Owen Laessig broke the brief tie, slashing a single to score Duhon and go up 2-1. In the third Jett Buck hit the second home run of the day for Washburn to add another run.  

Caleb Lunnon allowed a leadoff hit to Emporia State in the start of the second inning before retiring the next nine batters he faced into the fifth inning. In the fifth a leadoff walk followed by a double and groundout pulled the Hornets within one run once again.  

In the sixth inning both teams matched runs, both coming on solo home runs with Connor Scott supplying the power for the Ichabods. Next time at the plate for Washburn the first four hitters reached base, with McHarg and Buck on singles and Hayden Priest on a hit by pitch to load the bases. Jackson Mervosh scored two with a single. Two batters later Blake Scott added another with a sacrifice fly. Connor Scott was hit and stole second base, putting two in scoring position where they were scored by a Trevor McCollum two-out single to make it 9-3.  

Lunnon finished his outing with a scoreless seventh inning to maintain the lead. The Ichabods added some insurance in the eighth with Buck scoring Priest on a single after the catcher doubled to reach base. In the home half of the inning a single and walk began the half inning, the next hitter homered, cutting the lead in half.  

Washburn came right back in the ninth scoring two, the first on a pinch-hit RBI double by Chase Littrell before he came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 12-6. Kyle Snyder pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth, stranding three runners on base to end the game.  

At the plate the Ichabods out-hit Emporia State 15-8, while they Hornets did work eight walks to just a pair for the visitors. On the mound Washburn used four players, combining for five strikeouts. Caleb Lunnon tossed 102 pitches to go 7.0 innings with two earned runs and a pair of strikeouts.  

Jett Buck led the Ichabods at the plate going 4-6 with a home run and two RBI. Four players had multi-hit games with Payton McHarg, Trevor McCollum and Hayden Priest each picking up two base knocks.