By KYLE MANTHE
The Washburn Review
After a series of weather delays and postponements, Washburn baseball completed its final non-conference series of the year, claiming three out of four games against Northern State University.
The Ichabods now stand at 8-4 on the year with MIAA play picking up later in the week.
Game 1 of the past series began at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan as Falley Field recovered from Thursday's snow. After falling behind 2-1 early on, the series-opening game was all Washburn, as the Ichabods posted a 10-2 win.
“It’s February in Kansas and we’re used to that a little bit,” said Washburn coach Harley Douglas. “I think this was a little bit different though because we worked all day Friday to get the six inches of snow off the ground and then went and played Saturday.”
Senior Rane Pfiefer pitched five innings, allowing only two runs, and Washburn Rural product Dalton Huggins threw three scoreless innings to follow.
Sophomore Connor Scott contributed a home run for the Ichabods as Washburn won three out of four games against Northern State. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/The Washburn Review]
Offensively senior Parker Dunn started his big weekend with three hits and three RBI. Seniors Brett Ingram and Kros Bay went deep along with sophomore Connor Scott.
“Baseball is the same game no matter where you play, that’s the greatest thing about it,” Dunn said. “You just got to be able to grind and this is a team that loves to grind.”
Game 2 was back in Topeka and was the first of a Sunday doubleheader. Dunn picked up an RBI double in the first inning, giving the Ichabods a lead they would not relinquish.
“We preach all of the time that our goal is to lead the conference in doubles and stolen bases or extra bases. So when we do that we are putting a lot of focus on how we score runs rather than how many we are scoring,” Douglas said.
Washburn pitcher Casey Steward helped the Ichabods win three out of four games with Northern State in WU's season-opening series. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/The Washburn Review]
Sophomore Casey Steward made his first career home start and allowed only four baserunners and no runs in a career-high five innings.
“I like it a lot, I think the routine is just a lot more regular instead of coming out of the bullpen and not knowing when,” Steward said. “I think it is very important (to start strong), because it sets the tempo. You can’t really think about the whole thing, you just have to think about it one pitch at a time.”
The Ichabods broke the game open in the fourth inning after junior Cale Savage lifted a ball over the left-field wall for a three-run home run.
Ingram hit his second home run of the series in the next inning, adding more insurance and making it a 5-0 ballgame.
The Wolves scored three runs in the eighth inning, two of which were unearned, but could not pull any closer as Washburn won, 5-3.
In the second game of the doubleheader sophomore Jack Brimacombe began on the mound for the Ichabods. Briamacombe faced congested basepaths all game after walking five batters, but only allowed three runs over his five and one-third innings.
All of Washburn’s scoring in the game came in the third inning, beginning with a sacrifice fly from Scott to tie the game at one.
Two batters later senior Zion Bowlin sent a single back up the middle to score Scott and give the Ichabods a 2-1 lead.
A two-run home run in the sixth from Northern State junior Reece Ragatz ended Briacombe’s day and was the last time the Ichabods led. The Wolves added two more runs in the fifth leaving the final score at 5-2.
Offense came quick for both teams in the final game of the series Monday.
Senior Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli took the first pitch he saw from the two-hole and deposited it over the left-field wall for an early 1-0 lead for the Ichabods.
“All weekend I feel like I saw the ball well … I thought everyone swang pretty well this weekend,” Clark-Chiapparelli said.
The Wolves responded in the top of the second with a walk and two hits to score two runs and re-take the lead after playing a little small-ball.
Washburn responded with some of their own in the bottom half of the inning, scoring first on an RBI groundout from Savage. With two outs sophomore Otto Jones looped a fly ball into the right field corner for a double to make it a 3-2 game.
Northern State picked up two more hits and one run in the third off of junior Charlie Kiefer which is all that he would surrender, finishing allowing three runs, two earned, over four innings.
The rest of the scoring came from the Ichabods. Ingram broke the tie with a third inning sacrifice fly to score Clark-Chiapparelli from second base.
“Timely hits have been the biggest thing for us I think and if our pitchers continue to do what they have been doing and guiding the way for us and leading the way it is great for us as hitters,” Clark-Chiapparelli said.
In the fifth Dunn doubled against the right-field fence to score two and create a three-run advantage.
Even at the end of a long series the Ichabods’ bullpen was lights out to finish off the game. Starting with junior John Cross who threw two scoreless innings. Next was sophomore Julian Zamora who tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth.
“We feel our bullpen is as good as any in the country, so to have those guys and have Huggy back there on the backside and Julian was really good today and John Cross is starting to get healthy … it was good to see that today,” Douglas said.
Ingram added another insurance run in the eighth inning, scoring on a wild pitch dropped third strike. The heads-up play made it a 7-3 game. That is how it would end as Huggins came on in the ninth inning and struck out all three batters he faced.
“It was a long day yesterday and for us to bounce back and get ourselves to where we needed to be to win it’s a testament to these guys and what they do,” Douglas said.
The wins moved Washburn to 8-4 on the year, including winning seven of the last eight.
Next up will be a three-game home series against Fort Hays State beginning Friday, Feb. 25.
WASHBURN 7, NORTHERN STATE 3
Northern State (2-5) 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 2 5 2
Washburn (8-4) 1 2 1 0 2 0 0 1 x – 7 6 0
WP – Kiefer (1-1). LP – Mundt (0-1). 2B – Washburn: Dunn, Ingram, Jones, Northern: Gauer. HR – Washburn: Clark-Chiapparelli.
