Wabash fell behind 1-0 in the first after the Tigers leadoff batter reached base on a fielding error and scored on a base hit and ground out. Wabash bounced back to tie the game in the third on a Bill Goff (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) double that brought Tyler Nance (Celebration, FL/Celebration) around to score. But DePauw answered with two runs in the bottom half of the third inning after the leadoff hitter for the Tigers reached second on another Wabash error.
Wabash tied the game again in the fifth, manufacturing the first run on a sacrifice bunt by starting pitcher Jake Martin (Rushville, IN/Rushville) that brought Nance home for the second time in the contest. A walk loaded the bases for sophomore shortstop Danny Schubert (Lebanon, IL/Lebanon), who laced a single to right field to even the score at 3-3.
But the Little Giants would give the Tigers the final lead of the contest in the bottom half of the fifth. After a leadoff single by DePauw in its portion of the inning, a ground ball that appeared to get the Little Giants out of a jam turned into a nightmare as the throw to second hit the DePauw baserunner in the back of the helmet. With runners on first and second and no outs, the Tigers ripped back-to-back singles to put the game away.
Wabash had numerous opportunities, but could not come up with a key hit. The Little Giants outhit DePauw 11-7, but stranded 12 baserunners. The Tigers left only four runners on base in eight innings.
Nance led Wabash with three hits and two runs scored. Martin and Goff each had two hits in four at bats. Martin suffered his first loss of the season despite allowing only two earned runs in eight innings of work. He struck out four and walked only one batter, giving up seven hits in the contest.
The Little Giants will have the opportunity to avenge the loss on Saturday afternoon as the two teams will meet in two seven-inning contests at Mud Hollow Field. The first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.