By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Junior Payton McHarg went 4 for 4 with three runs batted in as Washburn University baseball scored double-digit runs for a third straight game on Saturday afternoon at Broken Arrow, Okla., winning 14-6 over Northeastern State to clinch the series.
Junior Payton McHarg went 4 for 4 with three RBI in Washburn's 14-6 Saturday win over Northeastern State. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
On Friday McHarg hit a pair of homers and had six RBI.
The Ichabods will go for a sweep on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The WU offense got going right from the jump with three hits from the first four batters Washburn (28-19 overall, 20-12 MIAA) sent to the plate.
Hayden Priest singled to score Cale Savage and Washburn Rural product Cooper Carlgren delivered a scoreless bottom of the first on the bump for the Ichabods.
In the second Washburn loaded the bases with one out after a walk and a pair of hit batters.
Savage singled to bring two around to score and Cash Jay followed with a run-scoring fielders choice to make the score 4-0.
The RiverHawks (20-29, 11-21) got on the board in the bottom of the inning with a walk and a one-out home run. A hit batter, walk and single scored another run.
Washburn loaded the bases on a single, walk and hit batter and scored two runs in the third on another hit batter and walk.
Neither side scored for the next two and a half innings until Northeastern State led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run, cutting the deficit to two.
After Trevor McCollum was able to reach on an error in the fifth he was moved around and the Ichabods got the run back with a sacrifice fly from Savage.
Carlgren finished his outing with a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth to hold the lead.
Once again Washburn loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth.
A single from Blake Scott scored two runs and back-to-back doubles from Watkins and McHarg had one and two RBI attached, respectively, to complete a five-run inning to blow the game open.
Northeastern State got one run back in the home half of the sixth on a solo home run. They scored one in the seventh as well with a double bringing around a leadoff walk to score and make it 12-6.
Blake Scott led off the eighth with a single and behind him, Grant Jones pinch hit for McCollum and blasted a 3-2 pitch over the wall for a two-run shot to extend the lead back to eight.
Cole Warner and Max Clark each tossed scoreless innings to complete the nearly wire-to-wire victory to give Washburn its seventh winning series of the season.
For a second straight day the Ichabods pounded out 14 hits, led by the 4-4 effort from McHarg.
Carlgren moved to 4-3 on the season, picking up the while striking out two in his five innings of work.
The Ichabods used five pitchers combining for four walks and four strikeouts in the game.
ESU softball takes Game 1 win over Washburn; Game 2 suspended
The Washburn Ichabod and Emporia State softball teams will have to wait a couple more days to end the regular season as Saturday's second game with ESU was halted and will be continued at a time to be announced on Monday with the Ichabods trailing the Hornets 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth.
Emporia State took the opener 6-2 as Rossville product Gracie Rabe picked up the pitching win.
Rabe went the distance in the circle, allowing two unearned runs on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout.
Shawnee Heights product Alexis Dial had a two-run double in the opener for the Hornets.
The Hornets took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning taking advantage of an Ichabod error.
In the top of the second, the Ichabods came back to tie the score at 1-1 after a Hornets' miscue allowed Mariah Wheeler to score when Ellington Hogle reached on the infield error.
From that point, the Hornets added five in the fifth, taking a 6-1 lead. Washburn added one in the seventh, cutting the final score to 6-2 when Alexis Tanbuma reached on an ESU error that scored Hailey Neira.
Jaycee Ginter had three hits in the game for Washburn and Wheeler finished with two hits, combining for five of Washburn's seven hits.
Sadie Walker took the pitching loss, dropping to 20-7 on the season.
Dial delivered a bases-clearing double to give Emporia State a 4-3 lead in the nightcap before weather forced the teams from the field.
