Wabash battled a mixture of weather and a resilient Olivet College baseball team on Sunday. The Little Giants came away from the doubleheader with a split, picking up a 4-2 win in the second game after losing 4-3 in eight innings in the first game.
The Little Giants scored all four runs in the first four innings of game two on Sunday to keep the Comets from leaving Mud Hollow Field with a series sweep. Freshman Brandon Heller (Carthage, IN/Rushville) reached on an error and came around to score on a fielder's choice to give Wabash a 1-0 lead after one inning of play.
Sophomore catcher Justin VanderIest (Hudsonville, MI/Hudsonville) came home after opening the second inning with a single to left when Phil Ramos (SO/Zillah, WA/Zillah) drew a bases loaded walk. Dan Matusik (SR/Highland, IN/Highland) reached base on an error in the third and scored on another fielder's choice, this time by junior Tyler Nance (Celebration, FL/Celebration).
The final run came in the fourth on an RBI single by Mike Mack (SR/Butler, IN/Eastside), scoring Ramos.
Freshman Jared Tarney (Ft. Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger) earned his first college victory in his first start of the year. He went the distance, striking out four and only walking one. He gave up 10 hits in seven innings of work.
The Little Giants led 2-1 after one inning in the first game. Wabash came back to take the early lead after Nick George (JR/West Lafayette, IN/Harrison) started a new hitting streak with a single after seeing his 12-game streak end on Saturday. He came around to score on a double by Chris Sides (SO/Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) to tie the game at 1-1. Wabash scored its second run when Mack lifted a sacrifice fly to right that scored Ramos, who had reached on a single after George had reached base.
Wabash took a 3-1 lead in the third when George reached base on an error and came around to score on a fielder's choice by Sides after another single by Ramos.
That single by Ramos would be the last of the game for the Little Giants, who were held to four hits in the contest.
Jon Horne (JR/Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier) held the Comets to one earned run in seven innings. He walked none and struck out four without being involved in the decision. The Comets picked up a sacrifice fly off of Nick Rico (SO/Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista), who suffered his first loss of the season in relief. Rioc did not give up a hit in one inning of work and struck out one, but saw a hit batter come around to score on the fly ball in the eighth.
Wabash moves to 9-8 with the 1-2 weekend. The Little Giants will be back in action on Saturday, March 27 when the Wittenberg Tigers travel to Crawfordsville to begin North Coast Athletic Conference Western Division play. The first pitch of the four-game series is set for noon on Saturday.
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