TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn battled back from an early deficit to take the lead but could not hold on late as Northeastern State scored two in the ninth to win 9-8 on Saturday afternoon and even the series. The series rubber match will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 29.  

Caleb Lunnon started the first inning by stranding a pair of RiverHawks on base. In the second, an error in the field extended the inning as they were able to string together four hits to score three runs. In the home half Brandt Beeby led off with a double and scored on a single by Jack Borgmann. A walk and hit batter loaded the bases for Owen Laessig who tied the game with a two-out single.  

Northeastern State re-took the lead in the fourth inning with a pair of walks and a single to go up 4-3. They scored two runs on three hits in the fifth to push the lead to three. Laessig led off the fifth with a double and was followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Trenton Barry and Ian Luce to pull within one. Beeby pushed a single through the right side of the infield to tie the game up at six.  

After taking over in the fifth, Gavin Wilhelm tossed a scoreless top of the sixth on the mound. Washburn was able to take the lead in the bottom half on a single by Luce to score Laessig. Risenhoover added another run with a single up the middle to go up 8-6.  

Wilhelm finished his outing with a scoreless seventh inning. In the eighth inning a runner that reached on an error came around to score on a single for the RiverHawks to cut the deficit down to one.  

In the ninth a one-out single and walk put two on for Northeastern State. With two outs an infield single was followed by an error allowing a run to come around and score and tie the game. Another error in the field plated another run to put them in front 9-8.  

Washburn put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth but came up empty, falling by one run as the series moved to one game each.  

Hits went 15-12 in favor of Northeastern State who also had 4-3 edges in walks and 5-2 in errors. Three pitchers took the mound for the Ichabods, with just four of nine runs charged as earned. Caleb Lunnon tossed four innings with seven strikeouts and allowed two runs in his start. Gavin Wilhelm went three innings and Mark Hoffmann tossed two, with all three runs scored in the frames going as unearned.  

At the plate four players had two hit days, Owen Laessig went 2-3 while driving in two. Ian Luce went 2-5 and also plated a pair of runs. Levi Risenhoover and Brandt Beeby both also had two hits.