TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn and No. 14 Central Missouri traded leads four times before a ninth inning rally by the Ichabods came up just short, falling 7-6 on Tuesday afternoon. They continue the homestand with three games against Emporia State beginning Friday, April 24 at 5 p.m.
Mark Hoffman and Brian Wamsher each navigated baserunners to toss scoreless innings to begin the game. Leading off the bottom of the second Jackson Mervosh smashed a home run to left-center to open up the scoring and put Washburn (18-26, 14-16 MIAA) in front.
The score stayed the same until the top of the fifth when the Mules (31-11, 21-9 MIAA) were able to go in front with a two-run home run with one-out. In the sixth inning Easton Wasinger sliced a one-out double down the left field line. An error extended the inning allowing Trenton Barry to send a single through the left side tying the game. Ian Luce followed with a single into center putting the Ichabods back out in front.
A walk and a single led off the seventh for Central Missouri. They moved to second and third with one out. A sacrifice bunt scored one but ended with a double-play at home to end the inning with the score tied at three. In the home half Jack Borgmann led off with a single and stole second. He was moved to third and scored on a sacrifice fly to re-take the lead again.
After a scoreless eighth inning the Mules tied the game with a leadoff home run in the ninth. They got a pair of singles before hitting a three-run homer to lead 7-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Luce led off with a double and an error put two on with nobody out. A one-out single up the middle from Brandt Beeby scored one and Mervosh followed with a walk that loaded the bases. An RBI groundout by Easton Wasinger made it a one-run game but that was as close as the Ichabods would get, falling 7-6.
Central Missouri led 10-9 in hits while Washburn had a 5-3 edge in walks and were aided by four errors in the field from the Mules. Five pitchers appeared for the Ichabods with four throwing 2.0 innings. Brian Wamsher allowed just one hit in his two scoreless frames.
At the plate Ian Luce and Brant Beeby were the only two with multi-hit days. Ian Luce reached four times going 2-3 with a walk and hit by pitch. Jackson Mervosh went 1-3 with a walk and a home run, driving in two.
