TOPEKA, Kan. – Graduate two-way
Ashton Neuman belted a two-run walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Northwest Missouri State baseball team past the Washburn Ichabods, 8-7, in the weekend series opener.
Down to their final out, the Bearcats had no one on base with two away in the bottom of the ninth when
Parker Griffith singled through the left side to keep the inning alive.
Ashton Neuman stepped to the plate and crushed a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw to seal the walk-off victory.
Brady Miles had a solo homer in the sixth, while
Ryan Williams drove in two RBIs with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
On the bump, Bearcat starter
Ben Haug recorded a season-high seven strikeouts over five innings, allowing just two hits in the outing.
Brock Steggall picked up his second win of the season, working the final two innings.
Northwest improves to 7-8 on the season and 1-3 in the MIAA, while Washburn drops to 10-7 and 5-2 in conference play.
Haug sat down a pair of Ichabods to open the game, as Williams got the Bearcat offense started with a double into the left-center gap. Northwest stranded Williams on second as the game remained scoreless.
Haug kept dealing on the mound, ending the top half of the third with his fifth strikeout, stranding a pair of runners. Bowers led off the bottom with a double down the left field line, later scoring on a Williams single to give the 'Cats a 1-0 advantage with one out in the inning.
Kaehukai Young added a run when he punched one to right to score Neuman, as Williams came around to score on a failed pickoff attempt, making it 3-0, Bearcats, through three complete.
WU would plate a pair in the fourth to bring it to a one-run game. After
Chester Brooks drew a walk,
Leonardo May singled to right to put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom half. Bowers grounded out into a fielder's choice, to score Brooks, extending the Bearcats' lead to 4-2.
Kayden Cook replaced Haug on the mound in the sixth. Cook issued a solo-homer by WU's Jackson Mervosh, that brought it back to a one-run ballgame. Miles answered the bell in the bottom half when he sent his first homer of the 2025 – 14th of career - over the left field fence, making it 5-3, 'Cats.
Logan Brasel took over for Cook in the seventh inning. In a back-and-forth battle, WU's Jett Buck blasted a two-run homer to tie the game at 5-5. The Bearcats responded in the bottom half as Bowers led off with a single, and
Jacob Selock beat out a bunt attempt that advanced Bowers to third when the ball slipped past the Ichabods' first baseman. That set the stage for Williams, who nearly delivered a three-run homer, but WU's left fielder made a leaping catch on the warning track. However, the sacrifice fly still brought in the go-ahead run, putting Northwest back on top, 6-5.
Steggall came in the eighth, keeping the 'Bods scoreless to keep it a 6-5 advantage for the Bearcats.
WU drew a bases-loaded walk to even the score at 6-6 with one out in the top of the ninth, eventually taking its first lead of the game at 7-6, as Neuman would seal the 8-7 victory with his fourth homer of the season in walk-off fashion.
The Ichabods had won nine of their last ten games before entering today's contest, with their last defeat coming on Feb. 24 (9-8 vs. UCO).
UP NEXT
The Bearcats will head back home for game's two and three against the Ichabods. Game two is scheduled for 2 p.m., on Sunday, March 9, as game three will be played on Monday, March 10 at 1 p.m., at Bearcat Baseball Field.
