By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball overcame Emporia State and a rain delay of nearly three hours Sunday to take a 6-3 series-clinching win over the Hornets at Steve Anson Stadium.
Brandt Beeby (left) went 3-3 with a pair of doubles and Trenton Barry (4) had two hits in Washburn's 6-3 series-clinching win over ESU Sunday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Emporia State took a 3-0 lead in its first two at-bats, but Washburn answered with six straight runs to take the win, improving to 20-27 overall and 16-17 in the MIAA.
ESU (32-15, 19-14) got on the board first as Logan Myers was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and eventually scored on a single by Noah Steele.
The Hornets added two more runs in the second as Brady Unrein led off the inning with a walk and scored from first on a one-out double by Cooper Schwindt.
An Ichabod error put runners on the corners before Logan Myers drove in Schwindt to make the score 3-0.
Washburn would quickly respond, however, scoring three runs on two hits, one hit batter and a walk to tie the game.
In the bottom half of the fourth the Ichabods picked up a leadoff double from Brandt Beeby and used a sacrifice bunt from Owen Laessig and an RBI groundout from Brooks Richardson to take a 4-3 lead.
Emporia State left six on base over the next three innings as the score stayed 4-3 through seven.
The Hornets put a pair of runners on base in the top of the eighth before lightning and rain forced the game into a delay with one out.
Following the long delay, the Hornets stranded both runners on base and Washburn scored two insurance runs on three hits in the bottom of the eighth to extend its advantage to 6-3 as Beeby and Eli Dean delivered back-to-back run-scoring doubles.
Emporia State got a leadoff single by Evan Abbott in the ninth and eventually brought the tying run to the plate with one out before a pair of popups ended the game.
Beeby went 3-3, including his two doubles, with two runs scored and an RBI.
Trenton Barry went 2-3 and Brooks Richardson had two RBI.
Gavin Wilhelm struck out five batters in 4.1 innings in Washburn's 6-3 win over ESU Sunday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
WU starter Gavin Wilhelm went 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) with five strikeouts before Blake Priest, Mark Hoffman and Griffin Huiatt followed with scoreless relief stints.
Hoffman (3-5) picked up the win and Huiatt the save.
Steele had three hits for the Hornets with a triple, marking the ninth game this season with three or more hits. Steele.
Steele, Logan Myers and Schwindt all recorded RBI.
Washburn will close out its regular season with a three-game home series against Pittsburg State Thursday through Saturday.
WASHBURN 6, EMPORIA STATE 3
Emporia State (32-15, 19-14) 120 000 000 -- 3 8 1
Washburn (20-27, 16-17) 030 100 02x -- 6 9 2
Chindamo, Khasaempanth (3), Ruge (5), Merlo (6), Woodcock (7), Huffman (8), Lialios (8), Vassallo (8) and Brisbois. Wilhelm, Priest (5), Hoffman (6), Huiatt (8) and Richardson. W -- Hoffman (3-5). L -- Khasaempanth (3-2). Save -- Huiatt. 2B -- Emporia State: Schwindt. Washburn: Beeby 2, Dean. 3B -- Emporia State: Steele.
