Two come-from-behind efforts by the Wabash baseball team ended in a split with the Wittenberg Tigers Sunday. The Little Giants got an RBI single from Shaun Rico to pick up an 11-7 victory in game one. Matt Dodaro launched his second home run of the series --- and second grand slam of the season --- only to see Wabash fall 9-8 in the last inning of game two. The Sunday split gave Wittenberg a 3-1 advantage in the weekend North Coast Athletic Conference Western Division series.
Wabash took a 1-0 lead in the game one when Kyle Rush opened the contest with a single, a steal of second, then advanced to third on an error by the Tigers’ centerfielder. Rush scored on a ground ball by Scott Hamilton to take a 1-0 lead. Wittenberg responded with two runs in the bottom of the second and another in the third to take a 3-1 lead. (View photos from the Wabash game one victory.)
The Little Giants started applying the power in the top of the third inning. Mike Nowak drilled a pitch to the right field corner for triple, scoring on another single by Rush to trim the Wittenberg lead to one run. The Tigers would add a run in the bottom of the third before Wabash would go big again.
Jake Thomas singled and Rico reached on an error with one out in the top of the fourth to set the table for David Culp. The junior outfielder laced a triple to bring Thomas and Rico home. A single by Nowak scored Culp to give the Little Giants a 5-4 lead.
Dodaro led off the fifth inning with a single to set up Thomas. The sophomore launched a two-run homer --- his first of the season --- over the right field wall to put Wabash in front 7-4.
The Tigers would mount a come back of their own, rallying for three runs to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. But the Little Giants weren’t down playing big ball.
After a singles, two walks, and fielder’s choice loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, Rico lifted the game-winning hit to right field to score Dodaro for the second time. Culp left no doubt one batter later, blasting a bases-clearing double for an 11-7 victory. Culp finished with three hits and five RBIs, while Rush also had three hits and one RBI. Four of the Little Giants’ 13 hits went for extra bases.
Mike Korfhagen pitched two innings to earn the win in relief. He held the Tigers to one run on one hit, one walk, and one hit batsman. Joey Niezer threw five innings as the Wabash starter, allowing six runs on four hits. He walked two, hit three batters, and struck out six.
The Little Giants trailed by five runs going into their final inning in game two before staging an exciting comeback. Two walks and an error by Wittenberg loaded the bases for Wabash. Nowak drew the bases loaded walk to bring home the first run of the inning. After relief pitcher Kyle Winter took the mound for Wittenberg and struck out Rush, he walked Hamilton to bring home another run for Wabash, cutting the lead to three.
That lead disappeared when Dodaro crushed his second grand slam of the season and the fourth by the Little Giant team to put Wabash in front 8-7. But the lead would not hold up. Wabash walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning before pinch-hitter Jon Daulton’s two-run single won the game for the Tigers.
Bobby Ritz had two of Wabash’s seven hits in the loss. Andy Weeks threw 1-1/3 innings of relief, suffering the loss after surrendering three walks and one hit for two runs. Danny Metz threw four innings as the starter, finishing with five earned runs, six runs scored, and seven hits. He also walked five batters. Korhagen threw an inning of relief with one unearned run on two hits. The Wabash defense had five errors, including three in one inning to help the Wittenberg cause.
Wabash (6-17-1, 1-7 NCAC West) is off until Friday when it plays a four-game home series against Earlham College. The two games on Friday are set to begin at 1 p.m.