Wabash erased a 7-0 deficit with 12 runs in the final four innings, including a six-run ninth to defeat Spalding University 12-7 Tuesday night.
The Little Giant comeback was sparked by a record-setting effort by freshman Brian Lares, who went 5-for-5 from the plate. He set a Wabash single-game mark with four doubles in the contest while picking up four RBI.
Wabash cut into the Golden Eagles' 7-0 led with back-to-back doubles by Matt Dodaro and John Holm in the sixth inning for the first Little Giant run of the game. A sacrifice fly from the bat of Derek Bailey trimmed the lead to five runs.
Lares opened the seventh with a double, scoring one batter later off a two-base hit by PJ Tyson. Tyson added the fourth run of the game on Jake Thomas' ground ball. Bailey and John Pennington scored in the eighth off another Lares double to make it a 7-6 contest.
Heading into the ninth inning down a run, the Little Giants got a one-out single from Thomas. Dodaro drew a walk to put the go-ahead run on base, setting the table for Holm. The freshman drilled a pitch down the right field line, scoring Thomas with the game-tying run.
Freshman Brandan Alford had already collected his first hit of the season earlier in the contest. His second provided the eventual game-winning run when his single to center scored Dodaro from third to put Wabash up 8-7. The Little Giants weren't done scoring, however. After a groundout and walk to Pennington loaded the bases, Lares ripped his fourth double to bring home two more runs to give Wabash five-run lead.
That was enough for Keegan Leckrone to earn his fourth win of the season. The junior closer has beneficiary of the five-run ninth after coming to the mound in the eighth inning in relief of Andrew Swart. Leckrone held the Golden Eagles to two hits while striking out three. Swart worked five innings of relief, giving up one unearned run with one walk and two K's. Starter Brian Van Duyn surrendered two earned runs and six total on seven hits and two walks. The sophomore also struck out two batters.
Lares 5-for-5 effort included a hard-hit single that might have gone for two bases had the Spalding third baseman not knocked down his drive in the fifth inning. Tyson was 3-for-6, while Alford, Thomas, Dodaro, and Holm each added two hits.
Wabash (11-13) heads to Granville, Ohio for a four-game North Coast Athletic Conference series against Denison University with the first two games slated for Saturday afternoon.