The Wabash bats pounded out 47 hits in four games, scoring eight runs in two extra-inning sessions on the way to a four-game sweep of North Coast Athletic Conference Western Division foe Earlham College. The Little Giants won 10-6 in eight innings and 17-1 in two games Saturday before returning for wins of 5-3 and 10-6 in eight innings once again Sunday.
Wabash crushed eight home runs over the weekend, giving the Little Giants 36 for the season, tying the school's single season home run record. Freshman second baseman Mike Nowak smashed three homers in the four-game set, hitting .438 for the weekend with seven RBIs.
The Little Giants picked up four runs in the first inning of game one, picking up two runs on an RBI single by shortstop Matt Dodaro. The freshman finished the weekend with a .438 batting average, going 7-for-16 with a home run, three doubles, and a total of four RBIs.
Wabash took a 6-4 lead into the final inning, only to see the Quakers tie the game with two runs in their final at bat to send the game into extra innings. The Little Giants put the game out of reach in the extra frame, scoring four runs to earn the win. Phil Ramos picked up the game-winning RBI on a double to right after Dodaro started the inning with a two-base hit to left center.
John Thiry worked seven innings to pick up his third win of the season. The righthander struck out nine while scattering 10 hits for five earned runs. Sophomore TJ Siple earned his first career save in the final inning.
The Little Giants exploded for 17 runs in game two, collecting 12 hits. Nowak, Dodaro, and Billy King each had two hits in the game, helping Wabash take an early 5-0 lead. A five-run seventh after the Little Giants jumped out to a 12-1 lead. While the Wabash bats pounded away, freshman pitcher Andy Weeks silenced Earlham with four hits over seven innings to earn his third win of the season.
Sunday's first game saw the Little Giants and Earlham locked in a battle through the first four innings. Wabash trailed 3-0 before tying the game in the fourth with a three-run homer by catcher Scott Hamilton. The Little Giants added two runs in the sixth when Hamilton scored on a triple by left fielder David Culp. Culp added the final run when Nowak singled him home to give Chris Schmaltz his fourth win this year. Schmaltz went 6-2/3 innings before giving way to Siple, who got the last out of the game for his second save of the weekend.
Wabash scored a run in each of the first three innings of the final game of the weekend before tacking on three runs in the top of the fifth, starting with a solo shot by Nowak to lead off the inning. The Little Giants would need every run as Earlham answered with four runs in its half of the fifth before tying the game with two in the sixth.
After both teams went scoreless in the seventh, Wabash scored four runs in the eighth for the second consecutive day to take the 10-6 win. Back-to-back singles by Jake Thomas and Hamilton came just ahead of an RBI double by Culp. King scored an insurance run with a single to put the Little Giants in front 8-6 before Mike Korfhagen and Shaun Rico added RBI doubles to secure the sweep.
Siple completed his near-perfect weekend with his first victory with three strikeouts over 2-1/3 shutout innings on the mound.
The Little Giants improved to 14-10 overall. The victories put Wabash at the top of the NCAC West standings with a record of 4-0, and will continue league play this weekend at home against Wittenberg University.