TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn took an early lead but could not hold off the hot bats of Northwest Missouri falling 20-16 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The Ichabods return to action next on the road facing No. 6 Central Missouri at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24.
The Bearcats (19-8, 9-4 MIAA) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first but were only able to score one run as Maclane Finley navigated the jam. Washburn (10-17, 7-8 MIAA) answered right back, with singles by Trenton Barry and Levi Risenhoover putting two on. An error in the field allowed one run to score and Jackson Mervosh plated the second with a sacrifice fly to go up 2-1.
The next time up singles from Owen Lesssig and Garrett Springer along with Barry being hit by a pitch loaded the bases. Ian Luce shot a single up the middle to score two. Risenhoover tacked on two more with a double to left center making it 6-1.
The Ichabods continued to pour on runs with Laessig driving in Jack Borgmann on a double early in the third. Springer slashed another single up the middle to plate Laessig. Barry followed with a triple that got to the wall in left field, he came around to score on the play on an error in the field to go up 10-1. Northwest Missouri answered back with a three-run shot in the top of the fourth to get back within six.
In the fifth inning the Bearcats continued to hit, plating one run on a single before hitting a three-run home run. An RBI groundout score another before another three-run homer to go in front 12-10. Another home run netted two runs to cap off the ten-run frame.
Washburn got two runs back the next time out with three straight two-out hits. Luce slashed a single, followed by a double from Risenhoover to score him and a single up the middle by Wasinger to pull within two. A pair of errors in the field helped Northwest Missouri answer back with three runs in the top of the sixth to lead by five.
A double from Borgmann and single by Littrell quickly put a run on the board for Washburn in the home half. Springer slashed a double down the left field line that scored another. Barry lifted a fly ball for a sacrifice fly to match the three runs and make it a two-run game.
Next time up the Bearcats loaded the bases before clearing them with a two-out double to go up 20-15. Mervosh led off the seventh with a double and was brought home on an RBI grounder from Littrell.
On the mound the Ichabods got scoreless innings from Sean Kingston and Kyle Snyder in the eighth and ninth but offensively they were unable to cut into the deficit, falling 20-16.
Washburn led 18-16 in hits, while Northwest Missouri had an 11-4 edge in walks drawn. Three errors were committed by the Bearcats with two for the Ichabods.
Eight pitchers took the mound for Washburn combining for five strikeouts with Maclane Finley's 4.1 innings the most of any. Six players had multiple hits in the game for the Ichabods while every player in the lineup had at least one. Levi Risenhoover went 3-5 with three RBI, Garrett Springer drove in two while going 3-5 and Easton Wasinger was 3-6.
