Rain brought an end to the Wabash baseball team’s first game back on the diamond in a week, but with the rain came a 9-3 loss at Rose-Hulman.
A five-run fifth inning for Rose ended just before area lightning sent both teams to the dugouts. A few minutes later heavy rains began, forcing the teams to wait out the storm. Nearly an hour into the delay the decision was made to call the game, making it an official contest.
Wabash scored in the top of the first when Jake Thomas extended his hitting streak to eight games with an infield hit. A sacrifice by fellow senior Matt Dodaro sent Thomas to second before a ground ball by John Holm was mishandled by the Rose second baseman to bring home the first run of the game. The Engineers answered with two in the bottom of the first before Wabash could tie the score in the fourth.
Quicktime Video - Jake Thomas singles, then scores on a John Holm ground ball in the first inning.
Tanner Coggins led off the fourth inning with a single, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by David Seibel. PJ Tyson followed with single to send Coggins home with the tying run. The Little Giants were unable to hold in the bottom of the fourth when Rose added two more runs to move in front 4-2.
The Little Giants responded with a run in the fifth with a lead-off single by Brian Lares and an RBI double by Thomas. The Engineers put a five-spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning before the weather ended the contest.
Thomas and Coggins each finished with two hits. Dodaro extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the third.
Wabash used a series of pitchers in an effort to prepare for Saturday’s North Coast Athletic Conference four-game home series against Ohio Wesleyan. Sophomore Brian Van Duyn took the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the fourth. Mike Korfhagen started the game, with Andy Weeks and Craig Austin also seeing time on the mound.
The Little Giants fall to 3-5 with the loss.