TJ Siple (right) kept Ohio Wesleyan's hitter off balance all afternoon while earning his second complete-game victory of the year in the Little Giants' 9-3 win Saturday afternoon. Wabash lost the opener 9-2 to the Battling Bishops.
The junior righthander held the North Coast Athletic Conference Western Division co-leaders to only three hits over seven innings. OWU's AJ Dote dropped a bunt single down the third base line in the fourth inning to break up Siple's no-hitter. Designated hitter Sean Ring took a pitch off his hands and looped a single over the infield in the sixth, then drilled the only hard single of the game for the Bishops with two outs in the seventh. Siple had good control throughout the game, giving up two walks while striking out four. He also had one hit batsman.
While Siple kept the OWU offense in check, his Wabash teammates broke out of their hitting slump.
The Little Giants managed just two hits in the opening game loss to the Bishops and had only passed the seven-hit mark in a game once in the last five contests exploded for 12 hits, including five in a five-run fifth inning.
After Matt Dodaro brought home the first run of the game with an RBI double to left center in the first inning, Jake Thomas drilled a live drive down the right field line that cleared the fence for a solo shot in the third inning to put Wabash up 2-0. Dodaro then opened the fifth with a bunt single, going to third when Thomas reached base on a throwing error by the Bishops. Both runners came home one batter later when senior Scott Hamilton crushed a pitch to the left centerfield wall for a two-run double. A single by Shaun Rico put runners on the corner with no outs in the inning.
A balk by reliever Sean Speed scored Hamilton and sent Rico to second. Wabash kept pouring on the runs on back-to-back hits by Jake Lee and David Culp to bring home Rico. Two walks by Speed to Kyle Rush and Dodaro added another run to the scoreboard for the Little Giants before a popup on the infield brought the inning to an end.
It didn't end the scoring, however. OWU scored three unearned runs when an infield popup was lost by the Wabash defense and fell to the ground for a three-run error with two outs in the inning. Wabash responded when Lee drew a two-out walk to bring Culp back to the plate. The junior outfielder promptly slammed a two-run homer to left center to put Wabash up 9-3. Siple would retire three of the final four batters for the victory.
Dodaro, Thomas, Rico, Lee, and Culp each had two hits in the 12-hit effort for the Little Giants. Culp finished the game with three RBIs to help snap a 12-game losing streak against the Battling Bishops while giving Wabash a chance to take its first series against OWU since joining the NCAC.
The Little Giants needed to come out swinging at the plater after picking up just two hits by Rush and Thomas in game one. Rush led off the first inning with a single up the middle, but OWU starter Xander Jones kept the Little Giants guessing throughout the rest of the contest. Thomas' single in the sixth scored Dodaro.
Wabash gave up a three-run third inning before surrendering six in the fourty when a series of hits, errors, and wild pitches led to a big inning for the Bishops.
The Little Giants (12-22-1, 4-8 NCAC West) and OWU (16-11, 9-3 NCAC West) will conclude the four-game series Sunday afternoon with two seven-inning games beginning at noon at Mud Hollow Field.
Game one - OWU 9, Wabash 2 (box score)
Game two - Wabash 9, OWU 3 (box score)
Photos - (top right) Scott Hamilton blocks the plate to keep OWU shortstop Logan Hronis from scoring in the first game Saturday.
(bottom left) Second baseman Mike Nowak makes a throw to first.