JOPLIN, Mo. – Down to its final out, the Northwest Missouri State University baseball team delivered yet another postseason thriller as senior
Ashton Neuman roped a two-out, walk-off RBI single to complete a stunning 9-8 comeback win over No. 7 seed Washburn on Friday night at Warren Turner Field.
Trailing 8-7 entering the bottom of the ninth,
Leonardo May ignited the rally with a leadoff triple down the right-field line.
Jacob Selock followed with a sacrifice fly to even the score. After an error allowed
Ryan Williams to reach second, Neuman stepped in and laced a liner down the left-field line to bring home the winning run and send the Bearcats storming into the title game.
May crossed the plate three times and went 2-for-5, while Williams and
Dylan Hufft also tallied two hits apiece. Selock and Williams each drove in a pair of runs to lead the offense.
Landon Wells earned the win, entering with two outs in the seventh and allowing just one hit to silence the Ichabod bats the rest of the way.
The Ichabods wasted no time, jumping on the first pitch with a single to left. Moments later, a two-run homer gave them a quick 2-0 advantage. Washburn tacked on another run as a runner crossed the plate before being thrown out at second, making it 3-0.
In the bottom of the first, Hufft sparked the Bearcats with a double down the right-field line. Williams followed with a single to right, putting runners on the corners with no outs.
Ashton Neuman got Northwest on the board with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Hufft. After one inning, Washburn held a 3-1 lead.
The Ichabods added two more runs in the second to extend the lead to 5-1.
Northwest answered right back.
Sam Wornson and
Alex Bowers opened the bottom half with back-to-back walks, and Selock loaded the bases with another free pass. Hufft put a ball in play to bring home Wornson, trimming the gap to 5-2. Chipping away, Williams slipped a two-run single past the third baseman to pull the Bearcats within one at 5-4.
Washburn added a run in the top of the third to push its lead to 6-4.
The Bearcats answered once again in the bottom half. Wornson singled, and Bowers drew yet another walk. Selock came through with a single to right, scoring Wornson. May followed by crossing the plate to even the score at 6-6 heading into the fourth.
Both teams went quietly in the fourth, posting the game's first scoreless frame to keep it locked at 6-all.
May gave Northwest its first lead of the game in the fifth with an RBI-single to center that brought Wornson in from third, 7-6.
Bearcat starter
Jaren Guck's day was done after tossing five strong innings, as
Logan Brasel made his 17th appearance of the season on the hill.
The Ichabods would score their first runs since the third inning with two to reclaim an 8-7 lead after seven and a half complete.
May led off the bottom of the ninth with a rocket triple down the right-field line. Selock brought him home with a sacrifice fly to shallow right, tying the game at 8-8. With two outs, Williams reached second on a critical Washburn error. Then came Neuman who laced the game-winning RBI single down the left-field line to complete the comeback and send Northwest to the MIAA title game in walk-off fashion.
UP NEXT
Northwest will play for an MIAA Tournament title against No. 4 seed Central Oklahoma. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., Saturday, May 10 at Warren Turner Field in Joplin, Mo.
