The sixth inning proved to be a good one in both baseball games Sunday for Wabash. The Little Giants scored two runs in the sixth of game one for a 3-1 victory over Wittenberg. A three-run sixth in the final contest put the Little Giants on top 11-8 to split the series with a sweep of the final two games over the Tigers.
Wabash trailed 1-0 in game one before tying the game on a sacrifice fly by Billy King in the fifth. Scott Hamilton opened the inning with a walk, moving to third on a single by Mike Nowak. That would set up the heroics in the sixth.
Chris Sides started things off with a double to the left centerfield gap. After JT Moore came into the game to run for Sides, shortstop Matt Dodaro lifted a single to left, sending Moore to third. Senior Phil Ramos got the eventual game-winning RBI with a single to center, scoring Moore while Dodaro raced into third base. Dodaro would score an insurance run two batters later when Hamilton sent a fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly.
Sophomore Chris Schmaltz earned his fifth win of the season with a complete game four-hitter. He struck out two batters while walking only two.
Dodaro and Ramos each collected two hits to lead the Little Giants at the plate in game one.
Game two saw the Little Giants race out to a 7-1 lead through three innings. Wabash scored four in the first to answer a first inning home run by Wittenberg's KR Schlievert. David Culp singled to lead off the first for Wabash, moving to second when Nowak's ground ball was mishandled by Schlievert. A single by King loaded the bases before they were emptied two batters later when Sides drilled a pitch to left center for a three-run double. Dodaro followed with his own RBI double to make it 4-1.
Three more runs were added to the scoreboard for Wabash in the third. Jared Bogan hit a one-out double, scoring on a single by Ramos after Dodaro drew a two-out walk. The throw home by Wittenberg in an attempt to throw out Bogan was errant, allowing Dodaro and Ramos to move up 90 feet. A single down the right field line by Jake Thomas brought both runners home to put the Little Giants in fronth 7-1.
The Tigers began cutting into the Little Giants' lead, scoring two runs in the fourth and another two in the fifth. Wabash answered with a single run in the fifth on a fielder's choice by Justin VanderIest. The Little Giant catcher hit what appeared to be a possible sacrifice fly to left, but Wittenberg left fielder Jon Fox rushed the play, dropping the fly ball to allow Dodaro to score from third after earning a walk earlier in the inning. The Tigers got an out at second on the play, but Wabash took an 8-5 lead.
That run would proved to be important in the sixth inning. Wittenberg started the inning with a single by Matt Berry, followed by a two-run homer by Tyler Christello. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with only one out, setting up a sacrifice fly by catcher Matt Steinke to tie the game at 8-8. A ground out to first would end the inning, sending the Little Giants to the plate in the bottom of the sixth.
Wittenberg retired the first two Wabash batters to begin the sixth before the rally began. Bogan tapped a slow roller to third, beating the throw for a base hit. Three pitches later he scored the game-winning run when Sides blasted his second double of the game to left center for his fourth RBI of the game. Moore came into the game to run for Sides once again, scoring when Dodaro hit his second double for a 10-8 lead. Ramos greeted reliever Jason Holmberg with his second double of the game for an extra run.
Freshman Tom Norman took the three-run lead and made it stand up, inducing a game-ending double play ground ball back to the mound in the seventh after the Tigers' leadoff batter reached on single to begin the final inning of play. Norman earned his first career victory with 1-2/3 innings of work, allowing only two hits and no runs. Travis Moore pitched 4-2/3 innings as the starter. He struck out one with one walk, allowing four earned runs on eight hits. TJ Siple pitched 2/3 of an inning with three runs, two hits, one strikeout, and one walk.
Ramos led the way with three hits, including two doubles, and two RBIs. Sides had two doubles and four RBIs, while Dodaro and King each contributed two hits to the cause.
Wabash moves to 16-12 for the season with the two wins, including a 6-2 record in the North Coast Athletic Conference Western Division. The Little Giants travel to Ohio Wesleyan for games Friday and Saturday this week.
Photos - (top left) Sophomore Chris Schmaltz improved to 5-1 for the season with a complete game victory over Wittenberg Sunday afternoon.
(Bottom right and sports home page) Head Coach Tom Flynn waves Jared Bogan home in the first game Sunday. Bogan would score the game-winning run in game two to give the Little Giants a sweep of the doubleheader and split in the series.