Wabash led 6-2 early in the first contest and held a 10-5 lead after batting in the top of the sixth inning. But five passed balls, an error, coupled with two hits in the bottom of the seventh inning allowed the Fighting Scots to get right back into the game. A triple brought the tying run to third with one out when the Little Giants got a strikeout to bring them just one out away from hanging on for the win.
It was not meant to be, however. A high chopper to third forced Wabash to make a hurried throw to first, getting away and allowing Monmouth to tie the game while putting the game-winning run at second. A wild pitch on the first toss to the plate put the game-winner one base away from scoring. Two pitches later the game was over when the sixth passed ball of the contest ended the Little Giants’ three-game winning streak.
Jon Horne (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier) (photo) held Monmouth in check in the second game. The sophomore earned his first win of the season, going the distance while tossing a four-hitter and striking out nine. Horne got stronger as the game went along. The only Monmouth run came in the first inning on a fielder’s choice as the Little Giants gave up the run for the second out of the inning with runners on first and third. Horne dominated from that moment on, striking out four of the last nine batters for the Scots in the contest.
Wabash answered the first-inning run by Monmouth with one of its own in the bottom half of the first when sophomore Nick George (West Lafayette, IN/Harrison) brought home Tyler Nance (Celebration, FL/Celebration) on a groundout to tie the game. The Little Giants added a three-spot on a three-run double by sophomore Bill Goff (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg), scoring George, Nance, and Jake Martin (Rushville, IN/Rushville). Wabash added a final insurance run in the fifth after Martin doubled, move to third on a wild pitch and scored on a balk.
Wabash managed only four hits in the contest, coming from Goff, Martin, Nance, and freshman Jared Bogen (Struthers, OH/Struthers).
The Little Giants move to 6-4 with the split. Wabash will play St. Joseph College on Thursday evening at 7 p.m.