The Wabash JV baseball team tried it’s best to acquire the late- inning magic from the varsity squad, but a 9th inning rally was stopped just short in a 6-5 loss to Rose-Hulman Wednesday afternoon. A Nate Schrader double sparked a three- run rally in the 9th inning, but Engineer pitcher Charlie Vana got a groundout to end the Little Giants’ hopes for a comeback victory.
Ultimately, hard Engineer hitting and sloppy defense would spell defeat for Wabash. Rose Hulman pounded the Little Giants for 6 runs at Mud Hollow field. Wabash started strong, earning a 2-1 lead in the 2nd inning off a Eric Carroll single that drove in the two runs. Starting pitcher Willie Matis would hold that lead through the next two innings, until he was replaced by Rob Harvey in the 5th.
Rose-Hulman came back strong in the 5th when Joe Valerioti knocked home two runs wth a double, giving the Engineers a 3-2 lead. A beautiful, diving catch from right fielder Tom Norman would save the Little Giants from further damage in the 5th.
In the 6th, an error by shortstop Schrader followed by an errant throw on a pick-off attempt allowed Rose-Hulman’s Derek Heitel to reach third, where he was swiftly knocked home to extend the lead to 4-2. A two-run single in the 7th would ultimately seal the deal for the Engineers.
The Little Giant pitching struggled, and they didn’t get much help from the defense. Multiple errors allowed three Engineers to either reach base or advance bases, all of whom would score.
The Little Giants threatened in the bottom of the 7th, but a groundout from Bobby Ritz would leave two stranded. Wabash would then put the rally cap back on in the 9th, scoring three runs before a groundout left the tying run stranded at second.
The varsity squad, fresh off a 10th inning win against Anderson, will open up conference play with a double-header at Denison on Saturday. The first game gets underway at noon.
The J.V. will next play on March 29. They will travel to Terre Haute to try to avenge yesterday’s loss to Rose-Hulman. Next, they will take on DePauw on April 4th.