Two home runs by the Denison University Big Red proved to be the difference in Saturday's doubleheader at Wabash College. The Little Giants lost both North Coast Athletic Conference Western Division games on Saturday, falling 5-4 in in the opener before dropping a 7-2 decision in the nightcap at Mud Hollow Field.
The Little Giants watched Denison score two runs in the first inning of game one, but answered with a four-spot against Denison's Cam Cowden, who entered the game with a perfect 6-0 record. Freshman Scott Hamilton (Indianapolis, IN/Bishop Chatard) reached on an error to open the first inning for Wabash. He moved to second on a Nick George (JR/West Lafayette, IN/Harrison) single. Phil Ramos (SO/Zillah, WA/Zillah) became the third Little Giant to reach base safely after laying down a perfect bunt between the pitcher and third. A single by sophomore Chris Sides (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) brought Hamilton home. A throwing error on the same play allowed George to score, tying the game at 2-2.
Wabash wasn't done there. Sophomore Bob Lewis (Highland, IN/Highland) laced a double to right-center, scoring Sides and Ramos to give the Little Giants a 4-2 lead after one inning of play.
But Denison came back with two more runs in the top half of the second to tie the game again. Neither team would mount a serious threat until the fourth inning when Denison shortstop Brian Regan drilled a pitch over the left field fence to give the Big Red the lead and the eventual win.
Junior Jon Horne (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier) went the distance on the mound for Wabash. He allowed only three earned runs in seven innings, walking two and striking out one.
Game two proved to be much more of a pitcher's dual for the first four innings. Wabash sophomore Travis Moore (Crawfordsville, IN/Crawfordsville) and Denison's Adam Chonko battled for four consecutive innings before the Little Giants were able to put two runs on the scoreboard in the fifth.
Sides opened the fifth with a single, then moved to third when Mike Mack (SR/Butler, IN/Eastside)pounded a pitch to the centerfield wall. A sacrifice fly by Tyler Nance (JR/Celebration, FL/Celebration) gave Wabash its first run of the game, then Mack raced home two batters later when Hamilton hit a single to right field.
Moore had kept the Big Red to only two hits through five innings. But the sixth inning saw the third hit of the game for Denison become the big blow. After two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases, Alex Nikolich lifted a pitch over the rightfield fence for a grand slam, giving the Big Red a 4-2 lead they would never relinquish. A three-run homer in the seventh by Denison's Lee Fischer added more insurance runs to board for the Big Red, securing the weekend sweep of the series.
George finished the day with four hits and a run scored in both games for Wabash. Sides added three hits, two runs, and one RBI. Moore finished game two by allowing only five hits and striking out three in seven innings.
Wabash (11-18, 2-9 NCAC West) will travel to Franklin College on Wednesday afternoon before returning home to Mud Hollow Field on Friday for a nine-inning contest against DePauw University.
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