The 2005 spring break trip came to a close for the Wabash baseball team Saturday afternoon. The Little Giants rallied for a 10-6 victory in game two against Coe College after losing 2-1 in the first game against the Kohawks to finish 8-3 for the week.
The lone offensive highlight in game one for Wabash came off the bat of Shane Noble (Sullivan, IN/Sullivan) (photo left). The freshman third baseman drilled his first college home run over the right-center field fence in the third inning to tie the game at 1-1 before the Kohawks scored the game-winner in the fifth inning. Senior Bill Goff (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) was stuck with the complete game loss, holding Coe to four hits over seven innings. Goff struck out eight while walking two batters. Only one of the two runs was earned.
Wabash fell behind 6-1 through three innings before exploding for six runs in the fifth inning. Noble started the offensive onslaught with a double down the right field line. Nick Pompeo (Warren, OH/Howland) singled through the middle of the infield to put runners on the corners. A line drive by catcher Scott Hamilton (Indianapolis, IN/Bishop Chatard) was knocked down by the Coe shortstop, but he was unable to make a play at any base, scoring Noble and sending Pompeo to second. A walk to David Culp (DeKalb, IL/DeKalb) loaded the bases for sophomore Billy King (Peoria, AZ/Peoria HS—Glendale Comm. College) (photo right). King, who raced home to score the first Wabash run in the opening inning on a wild pitch, slammed a triple to right field to empty the bases and cut the lead to one run. A single by senior Nick George (West Lafayette, IN/Harrison) brought King home to tie the game at 6-6.
But the Little Giants weren’t done. After a stolen base by George, junior Chris Sides (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) drilled an offering off the left field fence to score George and put Wabash up for good.
Wabash added an insurance run in the sixth inning on another George RBI single, scoring Pompeo after an inning-starting walk. Two final runs came home in the seventh when Hamilton lifted a two-out fly ball to center the Coe outfielder lost in the sun. Patrick McCarley (Vina, AL/Vina), pinch running for Sides after he reached base when hit by a pitch, and Noble scored to put Wabash up four.
That’s all reliever Jared Tarney (Ft. Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger) (photo right) would need to record his second save of the season. Tarney worked 2-2/3 innings, scattering three hits while striking out four with no walks. Nick Rico (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista) earned his first win of the season in relief of starter Chris Schmaltz (Greenwood, IN/Roncalli). Rico threw an inning of shutout baseball, holding the Kohawks to one hit with one strikeout. Wabash pitchers combine for eight strikeouts in the contest, including freshman Kyle Whisler (Danville, IN/Danville Community), who recorded two in his first college outing on the mound.
King, George, Sides, and Hamilton each finished 2-for-4 in the game. King and Hamilton also each drove in three runs in the victory.
Wabash returns to Indiana to open the northern portion of its season Tuesday afternoon at DePauw University.