TOPEKA, Kan. -- An eight-run seventh inning was the difference on Friday afternoon into the evening as Washburn fell 15-6 to Northwest Missouri State in game one of the series. The Ichabods will look to bouce back in game two on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Both teams were kept off the board in the first two innings of action with Kai Bennett getting the start for Washburn (9-16, 6-7 MIAA). He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second but the next time up the Bearcats (18-7, 8-3 MIAA) were able to string together back-to-back extra base hits and put a run on the board.
The score remained that way until the bottom of the fourth. Easton Wasinger slashed a one-out single into the outfield. With two outs Jack Borgmann found a gap in left center for a double, scoring Wasinger to tie the game at one.
Northwest Missouri answered back in the fifth scoring three, one on a double, another on a wild pitch and the third on a RBI groundout to go up 4-1. In the bottom of the sixth Wasinger led off with a double. Jackson Mervosh traded places with him and two batters later Chase Littrell lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to make it a 4-3 ballgame.
In the seventh inning the Bearcats got two on with two out. An error extended the inning, allowing Northwest Missouri to score eight runs in the inning with four coming on a grand slam.
Washburn got one run back in the eighth with two walks and another sacrifice fly from Littrell. In the ninth the Bearcats plated three more on a home run with no outs. The Ichabods scored two in their last at bat, on a two-run blast by Wasinger but it was not enough as they fell 15-6.
Hits went in favor of Northwest Missouri 14-10, as did walks 10-6. Both teams had one error in the contest.
Seven pitchers took the mound for Washburn. Kai Bennett tossed 4.1 innings with four strikeouts while allowing two earned runs. Scout Jellison and Sean Kingston combined to throw 2.1 scoreless innings out of the pen.
At the plate Easton Wasinger went 3-5 with two RBI, a double and a home run. Jack Borgmann went 2-3 with a pair of walks and Chase Littrell drove in two.
