Wabash took a two-run lead into the eighth inning before DeSales University scored six runs in its final at bats to take a 9-5 win. The nine-inning contest was the first of nine varsity games for the Little Giants in Texas as part of their annual spring break trip.
The Little Giants took a 2-0 lead playing at Trinity University in San Antonio when John Holm drilled an RBI double in the first inning and Tanner Coggins scored Matt Dodaro for the second time in the game with an RBI single in the third. DeSales tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer by Nick Repas.
Wabash took its second lead of the game in the fifth. Dodaro scored his third run of the game when Holm smashed a triple off the center field wall. Holm came in one batter later on a ground ball out by Coggins to put Wabash up 4-2. DeSales trimmed the Wabash lead to one with a run in the sixth inning, but the Little Giants stretched the lead to 5-3 when Jake Thomas scored on a fielders' choice by Holm to give the freshman his third RBI of the night and eighth of the season.
The defense that helped Wabash take the two-run lead disappeared in the bottom of the eighth. The Bulldogs scored six runs with only three hits. While the big blow of the inning came when second baseman Derek Moyer blasted a grand slam to left. The bases became loaded, however, off a lead-off double, a base hit, a catcher's interferance call, and an error on a play at the plate off a come-backer to the mound.
Senior Andy Weeks missed a second opportunity to post his first win of the season. He left the game in line for the victory after throwing 5-1/3 innings while scattering seven hits for three runs. Weeks struck out three and walked three batters. Patrick McCarley worked 1-2/3 innings in relief, retiring all but two of the seven batters he faced by allowing just two walks. Keegan Leckrone suffered the loss, missing the chance to earn his first save of the year by surrendering three earned runs and six total in the last inning.
Dodaro and David Seibel each had three hits to pace the Wabash offense. Holm added two hits for a Little Giant offense that stranded 14 base runners.
Wabash falls to 1-2 with the loss. The Little Giants continue their Texas tour Sunday with a double-header at 1 p.m. (CDT) at Huston-Tillotson University.
Photos - (top left) John Holm crushes a pitch off the center field wall for a triple.
(Bottom right) Andy Weeks pitched well enough to win, but came away with no decision in the Little Giants' loss to DeSales Saturday night in San Antonio.
Photos by Nancy Coggins.