TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn went back-and-forth Saturday afternoon, falling 6-5 to the Hillcats with a ninth inning rally coming up just short. The Ichabods will return to action for game two on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Hillcats (20-11, 10-9 MIAA) bats got started early with a pair of one-out hits scoring a run in the top of the first. In the second they loaded the bases with one out on a hit, walk and hit batter. Only one run came across to score on a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0.
Washburn (17-18, 10-12 MIAA) got on the board in the third with Blake Scott smashing a leadoff home run over the wall in left center to cut the lead in half. Cooper Carlgren settled in on the mound, tossing a scoreless fourth inning and striking out the side.
In the home half of the fourth Jett Buck led off with a single. He moved to second before scoring on a single into center by Easton Bruce, tying the game. The leadoff hitter reached on an error for Rogers State in the fifth. They were moved around to score on a sacrifice fly to go back in front.
With one out in the sixth Buck reached base on an error. He moved to second with two outs and once again scored on a single by Bruce. Jackson Mervosh shot a double off the wall in right center to bring in another run.
Rogers State got two on base in the seventh on a hit batter and walk, both with one out. A three-run home run over the wall in left put them in front 6-4. Griffin Huaitt finished out the seventh inning and delivered a scoreless eighth, stranding two runners on base.
Huiatt and Max Clark combined to throw a scoreless ninth after the Ichabods left two on base in the bottom of the eighth. In the ninth Payton McHarg led off with a walk and Hayden Priest put two on with a single. With one out Cash Jay singled through the left side of the infield to score McHarg. A walk from Mervosh loaded the bases with two outs but that is all Washburn could muster as the rally came up just short in the last at-bat.
The Ichabods out-hit the Hillcats 10-8 in the game, with each side recording two errors. Walks were nearly even for both sides with five from the Rogers State hitters and four for the home squad.
Three pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts with nine coming from Cooper Carlgren, who fanned eight in the first four innings of action. Griffin Huiatt tossed 2.1 scoreless innings in relief.
Four hitters had multi-hit days for Washburn, Easton Bruce had two hits with two RBI while Blake Scott had one hit, a home run and reached base three times with a pair of walks.
Andrew Ramirez went 2-4 for the Hillcats with a home run and four RBI while Ky Decker threw six innings allowing two earned runs for the win.
