By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
The Washburn University bullpen threw four scoreless innings to close out a 4-2 victory at Northwest Missouri on Wednesday.
Washburn pitcher Jack Brimacombe picked up his second win of the season in Weddnesday's 4-2 MIAA win at Northwest Missouri. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods will be back in the Show Me State this weekend for a three-game set at No. 24 Central Missouri.
The Bearcats (6-22 overall, 4-13 MIAA) got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
The Ichabods (20-11, 13-4) answered with a run of their own in the top of the third.
Caden Bressler drew a walk and with two outs he moved over to third on a single by Trevor McCollum. On a 1-1 pitch, McCollum successfully stole second base and on the throw down, Bressler broke for home and scored Washburn's first run.
Washburn took the lead in the top of the fifth as the new Northwest Missouri pitcher struggled with command.
Blake Scott led off the frame reaching base after a wild pitch strikeout and advanced to second on a balk.
McCollum drew a walk and up next was Cal Watkins, who drove in a run with a single to right field. Watkins swiped second base and moved over to third on a fielder's choice before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Trey Adams to put the Ichabods up, 3-1.
In the home half of the fifth, Northwest Missouri pulled within one after a leadoff hit by pitch eventually came around to score on an RBI single.
The score stayed at 3-2 until the seventh inning. With two outs and holding a full count, Adams singled to left field and advanced to second on an error.
Andrew Schmidtlein drove in the insurance run with a single to right field on the first pitch of his at bat.
From the seventh inning on, Washburn did not allow Northwest Missouri to advance past second base.
Charlie Kiefer earned his second save in as many appearances after closing out the scoreless ninth on 11 pitches.
The Bearcats finished with the advantage in hits, 9-6, and both teams left 11 runners on base.
Watkins and Adams were both 2-4 with an RBI and run scored. McCollum had a hit, was walked twice, and recorded two of Washburn's six stolen bases.
Jack Brimacombe picked up the win and improved to 2-2 on the year after throwing five innings in the start and allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three.
Jake Schroeder tossed two scoreless frames and allowed just two hits.
Max Clark made his collegiate debut in the eighth and allowed zero runs, one hit, one walk, and recorded one strikeout.
