Senior pitcher Andy Weeks earned his first win of the season with a complete-game, five-hit effort in a 5-2 win by Wabash against Ohio Wesleyan Saturday afternoon. The Little Giants lost 12-7 in game two to earn a split in the first two games of the four-game series against the Battling Bishops.
Weeks, who entered the day with no decisions in his first two starts, struck out six OWU batters while allowing five hits and two walks with two earned runs.
Wabash trailed 1-0 in the first inning before scoring three runs in the bottom of the second. The Little Giant took advantage of a single, two hit batsmen, and an error to score John Holm and Tanner Coggins. Matt Dodaro added an insurance run in the third when he smashed a solo home run over the left field fence for his 19th career blast, two shy of the Wabash all-time record.
The Little Giants scored again in the fourth when Joe Johnson came home on an RBI single by Brian Lares after starting the inning off with a walk.
Wabash fell behind 3-0 in game two before picking up a run in the second on Lares' second RBI single of the day, scoring Deig after he reached on a two-out single. Ohio Wesleyan added two runs in the fourth before exploding for a seven-run sixth inning to move in front 12-1. The Little Giants rallied with three runs in the final two innings to close the gap to five runs, but could not cut any deeper into the Bishops' lead.
The Little Giants finished with 14 hits, paced by Lares with a 3-for-4 effort from the plate. Jake Thomas, Sam Starbuck, and Dodaro each had two hits. Brian Van Duyn took the loss, his second in as many outings. The sophomore surrendered five earned runs on 10 hits in four innings with no walks and two strikeouts. Luke Zinsmaster and Patrick McCarley could not close the door, combining to give up seven runs in one-plus innings. Pete Schmith and Jeff Soller worked two scoreless innings in relief.
Wabash (4-6, 1-1 NCAC West) and Ohio Wesleyan (7-7, 1-1 NCAC West) will close out the weekend with a Sunday doubleheader at Mud Hollow Field beginning at noon.
Box Score - Wabash 5, Ohio Wesleyan 2
Box Score - Ohio Wesleyan 12, Wabash 7
Wabash managed just five hits - one each for Dodaro, Holm, Lares, David Seibel, and Chris Deig.