A three-run homer in game one and a six-run second inning in game two gave Guilford two victories over the Wabash baseball team in the Little Giants' season opening series in Greensboro, North Carolina. Guilford won game one 3-0 before taking an 11-7 win in Saturday's nightcap.
Click here to see photos from the weekend series.
Joey Niezer worked five innings of three-hit baseball in game one, but surrendered two of those hits in the fifth. After a one-out single by Guilford's Alex Starbuck. The Quakers added another runner on a hit batsman before Phil Drew slammed the three-run shot to left for the eventual game-winner. Niezer walked two and struck out six while suffering his first loss of the year. Patrick McCarley worked the last inning of relief, fanning one while allowing one hit.
Wabash had five hit. Jake Thomas had the only extra-base hit for the Little Giants with a one-out double in the first that put runners on second and third for an early threat. Wabash could not come up with a key hit in game, stranding four base runners in the contest.
The Little Giants jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning of game two on an RBI single by Tanner Coggins (pictured right). The freshman scored on an error by Guilford's third baseman to put Wabash ahead early. The Quakers responded with a six-run second before Thomas blasted his first homer of the year, lifting a shot over the right-center field fence to cut the lead to two runs. The Little Giants trailed 11-5 going into the final inning, rallying for two more runs on a Coggins triple and PJ Tyson double.
Freshman Brian Van Duyn took the loss after working 2-1/3 innnings for Wabash. Keegan Leckrone and Willie Matis finished the game for the Little Giants.
Coggins accounted for four hits in his Wabash debut, including three in the second game. Thomas added three hits for the day, while Bobby Ritz had two.
The Little Giants and Quakers close out the three-game series with a single nine-inning contest Sunday afternoon.