The Wabash College baseball team opened a week's worth of baseball in the Clearwater, Florida region on Sunday afternoon by splitting a pair of games with Rhode Island College. The Little Giants lost the first contest in extra innings, falling 10-7 in eight, before picking up a 13-1 win in five innings in the nightcap.
Wabash took a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning of the opening game at Huggins Stadium in St. Petersburg on Sunday afternoon, only to see the Anchormen come back with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead. The Little Giants scored two runs in the home half of the sixth to move back in front, but Rhode Island responded with two runs of its own to take another lead. Wabash tied the game in the seventh before a three-run explosion in the eighth gave the game to the Anchormen.
Junior secondbaseman Nick George (West Lafayette, IN/Harrison) was two for four from the plate with a run scored. Sophomore catcher Justin VanderIest (Hudsonville, MI/Hudsonville) picked up three RBI's, including a home run, in the los loss for the Little Giants.
Wabash bounced back with a seven-run explosion in the second inning of the second game against the Anchormen. The Little Giants pounded out nine hits in the second frame, including back-to-back doubles by shortstop Danny Schubert (JR/Lebanon, IL/Lebanon) and outfielder Phil Ramos (SO/Zillah, WA/Zillah). George added a third two-bagger, one of two for him in the contest. The Little Giants added six more runs in the fourth to break the game open, forcing it to be called after five innings due to the run rule.
Junior Bill Goff (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) earned his second win of the season on the mound, throwing four innings of five-hit baseball while striking out three and not allowing any walks. Freshman Frank Knez (Portage, IN/Portage) worked an inning of relief, holding Rhode Island to two fly balls and a groundout.
Freshman Scott Hamilton (Indianapolis, IN/Bishop Chatard) picked up two hits in four plate appearances, knocking in three runs and scoring two more. Sophomore Chris Sides (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) was 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Schubert finished the day 2-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Wabash will return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 9 for a doubleheader against Emory and Henry at the Englebert Complex in Dunedin, Florida beginning at noon.