Wabash junior John Thiry (Grand Rapids, MI/Grand Rapids Christian) held the Earlham College Quakers hitless after the first batter of the game laced a double down the line, helping Wabash to a 12-0 win in the first of two baseball games Saturday afternoon. Wabash took game two 9-5 to move to 2-0 in North Coast Athletic Conference Western Division action.
Thiry gave up a double to Earlham's Kevin Carr before settling into a groove that saw the lanky right-hander pitch seven innings while earning his third win of the season. He struck out seven, tying his season-best effort, while walking one batter and hitting two others. A fifth Quaker player reached on an error. Thiry also lowered his season ERA to 1.95 with his first shutout of the season.
While Thiry was blanking the Quakers, the Wabash were exploding. The Little Giants cranked out 10 hits to end their six-game losing streak, breaking the game open in the second inning with a seven-run effort.
Chris Sides (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) opened the second with a double to left, then scored one batter later when freshman Shane Noble (Sullivan, IN/Sullivan) ripped his second home run of the season over the right field fence to give Wabash a 2-0 lead. Two consecutive errors by the Quakers put runners on first and third for the Little Giants. One run scored on a sacrifice fly by Danny Schubert (Lebanon, IL/Lebanon). A base hit bunt by Scott Hamilton (Indianapolis, IN/Bishop Chatard) set up leadoff hitter Billy King (Peoria, AZ/Peoria HS -- Glendale Comm. College), who ripped a bases clearing double down the right field line to make it a 5-0 contest. A throwing error eventually brought King home before Jared Bogan (Struthers, OH/Struthers) added the seventh run with an RBI double to center, scoring David Culp (DeKalb, IL/DeKalb).
Wabash added an unearned run in the third inning. Schubert drove home a run in the fourth on a fielder's choice, scoring Noble who walked to open the inning.
Noble doubled to start the sixth inning, scoring after a double by Nick George (West Lafayette, IN/Harrison) and an RBI single by Phil Ramos (Zillah, WA/Zillah). George came home on a Schubert single before Ramos scored the final run on a fielder's choice by Patrick Maguire (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral).
Noble and Hamilton each had two hits for the Little Giants. Schubert had three RBIs.
Wabash came back with the 9-5 victory in game two behind 10 more hits. King led the way with a 2-for-3 effort with two RBIs and three runs scored. He scored the first run for Wabash, starting the home half of the first inning with a triple to right before coming home on a Bogan single up the middle. Noble walked later in the inning, leading to two more runs on a two-out single by Jon Elwardt (Naperville, IL/Naperville Central). Elwardt went 2-for-4 in the contest.
King scored his second run of the game after being hit by a pitch in the second inning. He came home on Bogan's RBI double, answering a two-run second by the Quakers. Five more runs came home in the Little Giants' half of the third to give Wabash a 9-2 lead. Earlham picked up three runs in the sixth before Jared Tarney (Ft. Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger) shut the door with two strikeouts and flyout in the seventh.
Senior Bill Goff (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) picked up his second win of the season, working five innings while holding the Quakers to one earned run and two total. He recorded six strikeouts, allowing only four hits and one walk.
King, Bogan, Sides, and Elwardt each contributed two hits. King, Bogan, and Elwardt each added two RBIs, as well.
Wabash (10-8, 2-0 NCAC West) will face Earlham Tuesday afternoon at Mud Hollow Field in a make-up date from Friday's scheduled doubleheader, which was postponed due to weather. Game one will begin at 1 p.m.