MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Washburn University Ichabods completed a season series sweep of the Northwest Missouri State University baseball team Tuesday at Bearcat Field, 6-5.

The Ichabods built a 6-2 lead and then held off an eight-inning Bearcat rally to score the victory. Earlier this season Washburn scored 9-8 and 4-2 wins over Northwest.

Bearcat skipper Darin Loe turned to freshman Connor Polli for the start on the mound. Polli entered the contest having made three appearances this season with a 0.00 earned run average in 3 1/3 innings of work.

Polli set the Ichabods down in order in the top of the first and the Bearcats wasted little time in putting runs up on the board.

Cole Slibowski led off with a single and Alex Bowers followed with a single. Parker Griffith delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to give Northwest a 2-0 lead in the first.

Washburn's Ike Book launched a solo homer to left to lead off the second to cut the Bearcat lead in half.

The Ichabods took a 4-2 lead on a three-run homer by Cale Savage with one out in the third. Polli left after three innings of work after giving up four runs (all earned) on five hits. Polli struck out five.

Andrew Clark relieved Polli and worked two innings. He was touched up for a run in the fifth on a pair of doubles from Savage and Book. Clark gave up three hits and struck out one.

Jaxson Meyer took the next call from the bullpen as he worked in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Meyer limited Washburn to two hits and one run, a solo homer by Cal Watkins to lead off the eighth.

Bearcat closer Jacob Gajic came on with one out in the eighth and struck out five of the six batters he faced. Gajic gave up a leadoff single in the ninth before striking out the side.

Northwest rallied in the eighth on the strength of five consecutive one-out hits. Bowers began the comeback attempt with a single. Ryan Koski delivered a double to put runners on second and third. Trey Morris came through with an RBI single that scored Bowers to leave runners on the corners. Griffith greeted Washburn reliever Mickey Coyne with an RBI single to plate Koski and trim the lead to 6-4. Caden Diel singled to right to extend his hitting streak to nine straight games and load the bases. Layne Shiers reached on a fielder's choice that scored pinch runner Noah Bodenhausen to cut the Washburn lead to one at 6-5. However, pinch hitter Brady Miles fouled out to third to end the threat.

After Gajic whiffed the side in the ninth, Northwest had one more attempt to tie or win the game. The Bearcat bats were silenced in the ninth by Ichabod closer Charlie Kiefer. Kiefer worked a perfect ninth to secure his fourth save of the season.

Washburn improves to 22-16 overall and 15-9 in the MIAA. Northwest falls to 8-27 overall and 6-18 in the MIAA.

Northwest will return to action Wednesday at 3 p.m. with a non-conference matchup with the Quincy (Ill.) Hawks at the Bearcat Baseball Field.

NOTES: Cole Slibowski has reached base in 26 straight games ... Griffith drove in a season-high tying three runs - marking the second time this season he has driven in three runs in a game ... Griffith has four multi-hit games this season having played in only nine games ... Slibowski notched his ninth multi-hit game as he went 2-for-5 with a run scored ... Bowers earned his seventh multi-hit contest as he went 2-for-5 with two runs scored ... the Northwest pitching staff did not allow a walk for the fifth time this season.