By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University baseball hit a pair of doubles in the top of the ninth to take its first lead of Saturday's game and then closed it out with a double play to capture the come-from-behind 2-1 MIAA win at Emporia State.
The Ichabods (27-14, 17-10 MIAA) have now won six of their nine MIAA series this season.
Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli delivered a game-winning double in Washburn's 2-1 win at Emporia State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Hornets (16-25, 10-17 MIAA) made some noise in their first at bat and had runners on second and third, but Washburn starter John Cross escaped the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
ESU threatened again in the bottom of the third as the first three batters reached base with two singles and a hit by pitch. Cross struck out the next two batters on three straight pitches and got out of the inning unscathed with a third consecutive strikeout.
The first run of the game was scored in the fifth by the Hornets. ESU hit a one-out triple and then loaded the bases with a hit by pitch and walk and plated a run on a sacrifice fly.
Washburn Rural product Dalton Huggins took over on the mound and on the first pitch ended the inning with a flyout.
After retiring the Hornets in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Ichabods got things going in the seventh.
Brett Ingram recorded Washburn's first hit of the day with a single to left field and then advanced to second on an error.
With two outs, Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli drew a walk and Easton Brucehit a bloop single that dropped in shallow left field, allowing Ingram to score the tying run.
The Washburn defense turned its second double play of the afternoon with a 3-6-3 double play and Huggins wrapped up the seventh with a strikeout.
With the game still knotted up at one run apiece, Huggins kept it there in the bottom of the eighth with a 1-2-3 inning that included two strikeouts.
In the top of the ninth, Ingram ripped a one-out double down the left field line to get a runner in scoring position.
After recording the second out of the frame, Emporia State's starter, Noah Geekie, was pulled to face Clark-Chiapparelli. On the seventh pitch of his at bat, Clark-Chiapparelli hit a double of his own to left center to drive in the go-ahead run.
Rane Pfeifer was called on to close the game and got a groundout for the first out. The Hornets got a man on with a bunt single, but it was quickly erased with a game-ending 4-6-3 double play, Washburn's third double play of the afternoon.
Emporia State out hit Washburn, 8-4, as the Ichabods did not get a hit until the seventh. Ingram went 2 for 4 and scored both of Washburn's runs. Clark-Chiapparelli had a double, walk and RBI.
Cross received a no-decision in his first start of the year as he went 42/3 innings and allowed one run on six hits with two walks and a season-high seven strikeouts.
Huggins (3-0) earned the win as he worked 31/3 scoreless innings and surrendered only one single while striking out four. Pfeifer threw nine pitches in the ninth and received his first save of the year.
The Ichabods are scheduled to play at Northwest Missouri for a non-conference game on Tuesday afternoon before heading to Rogers State next weekend, April 22-24.
