TOPEKA, Kansas – The Washburn Ichabods rallied for four runs in the eighth inning off the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats to score a 6-4 non-conference victory on Tuesday.
After a scoreless opening pair of innings to begin the contest, Washburn (19-17, 11-13 MIAA) scored first in the third. Junior catcher Steven Jacobson hit a solo shot over the left field wall.
Washburn increased its lead over Northwest (17-20, 13-11 MIAA) to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth after Jacobson doubled to deep center field and scored an unearned run attributed to Bearcat pitcher Max Ross.
The Bearcat offense ignited in the sixth. Logan Rycraft led off with a single.Connor Quick extended his hitting streak to 14 in a row by tripling Rycraft home to put the Bearcats on the board. Jay Hrdlicka followed with an RBI single to tie the contest at 2-2.
Mondesi Gutierrez tripled to lead off the seventh and scored on a Jordan Peck single to center. Tim Olson doubled to move Peck to third. Peck would eventually cross the plate on a sacrifice fly from Rycraft to give the Bearcats a 4-2 lead.
In the eighth, pitcher Aaron Easley came on as the fifth relief pitcher in the game for the Bearcats but was greeted by a walk, a double, a two-RBI single and a balk before he was removed from the game in favor of senior closer Trevor Dudar. Dudar induced a sacrifice fly but then allowed a triple and another run-scoring single to leave the Bearcats in the hole, 6-4.
The Bearcats went three-up, three-down in the ninth inning to drop the game. Easley was given the loss and he falls to 1-2 this season.
The Bearcats will return to action Thursday at 6 p.m. at Central Missouri. The Bearcats and Mules will play a three-game set in Warrensburg.
NOTES: Quick reached base for the 21st straight game and moved his hitting streak to 14 in a row … Quick had two hits in the game to give him 20 multi-hit contests this season … Calvin Rudolph saw a pair of his streaks snapped – 16-game hitting streak and a 17-game on-base streak … Peter Carlson has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games … Northwest is now 3-1 on the season when facing Washburn.
— Northwest Athletics —