PITTSBURG — The Washburn University baseball team scored four times before Pittsburg State University came to the plate and the Ichabods added seven more runs in the fifth inning to cruise to a 13-1 victory over the Gorillas in the opening game of a three-game MIAA series Saturday (Mar. 19).

WU (11-9, 6-4 MIAA) capitalized on 10 walks, a pair of hit batters and a pair of defensive errors by Pitt State (5-14, 0-10 MIAA) in the contest.

The Gorillas out hit the Ichabods, 9-8, in the contest but Pitt State didn't score until Cooper Karlin's solo home run with one out in the seventh inning broke up WU's shutout bid. The Ichabods put the game out of reach and forced the shortened run-rule game by scoring seven runs on just two hits in the pivotal fifth frame.

Nick Silva (4-0) scattered five hits in four innings of work, while relievers Greg Mason, Evan Payne and Garrett Bryant helped hold the Gorillas in check.

Jack Mercer and Cole Brecheisen collected two hits apiece to pace the Pitt State offense.

The two teams will continue return to Al Ortolani Field for game two of the series at 3 p.m. (CDT) Sunday (Mar. 20).