Wabash won the rubber game of the three-game series against Franklin College Wednesday night with a 3-2 victory over the Grizzlies at Victory Field in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Little Giants beat Franklin 6-5 in the first game a week ago at Mud Hollow Field in Crawfordsville before the Grizzlies evened the series with a 10-4 win.
Wabash jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Chris Sides (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) doubled to left-center field, then raced home on a Danny Schubert (Lebanon, IL/Lebanon) single.
The Little Giants added another run in the third inning when Billy King (Peoria, AZ/Peoria HS – Glendale CC) (left) blasted his first career home run over the centerfield wall to make it 2-0 in favor of Wabash.
The Grizzlies added a solo homer in their half of the third inning on a shot to rightfield by Terry Kinnett.
Wabash made it a two-run game in the fifth on an RBI single that scored David Culp (DeKalb, IL/DeKalb). Phil Ramos (Zillah, WA/Zillah) doubled to open the inning. Culp came on to run for him, racing home on a single by King to put the Little Giants up 3-1.
The Grizzlies answered in the bottom of the fifth with two one-out singles and fielder’s choice to cut the lead to one. They would threaten in the eighth and ninth innings, but Wabash pitchers Travis Moore (Crawfordsville, IN/Crawfordsville) and Jared Tarney (Ft. Wayne, IN/Bishop Dwenger) stranded four runners to preserve the win.
Moore got credit for the win, working three innings of relief for senior starter Judd Crowgey (Salem, OH/Salem), who went 4-1/3 innings. Crowgey gave up seven hits and two earned runs. Moore recorded his third win of the season with three hits and two strikeouts. Tarney notched his third save of the season with 1-2/3 innings of work with two hits and two strikeouts.
King went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, including the solo homer. The Little Giants had eight hits total in the game, stranding seven baserunners.
Wabash (16-20) travels to Case Western Reserve and Defiance Saturday and Sunday for its season-ending doubleheaders.