Wabash pounded out 31 hits and scored 28 runs Saturday afternoon to pick up a two-game sweep at Earlham College. The Little Giants grabbed an 8-5 win in game one of the North Coast Athletic Conference baseball game before outscoring Earlham 20-8 in game two.
The victories, combined with a split in the two games played Saturday between Ohio Wesleyan and Denison, allowed Wabash to extend its lead in the NCAC West Division. The Little Giants are 7-1 in divisional play, leading Ohio Wesleyan (6-3) and Denison (5-3).
Andrew Swart
(right) earned his third victory of the season as the game one starting pitcher. The sophomore righthander worked seven innings of eight-hit baseball, striking out seven while walking only one batter. He gave up five total runs and three earned in the complete-game win.
Swart’s teammates had to overcome an early 4-0 lead by the Quakers, rallying for four runs in the fourth inning. Montana Timmons (left) drove home John Holm with the first run of the inning with a double to left center, then scored the second run on consecutive wild pitches by Adam Painter. Brian Lares added another RBI double in the inning to score Joe Johnson with the game-tying run after he was hit by a pitch.
Wabash took the lead with a sacrifice fly by PJ Tyson in the sixth to score Chris Deig, then added two more runs when John Pennington opened the seventh inning with a double just ahead of a two-run homer from Tanner Coggins. Nathan Schrader added an insurance run after pinch-running for Timmons when the freshman singled. David Seibel brought Schrader home with a fielder’s choice to add the eighth run of the game.
The Little Giants were forced to come from behind in similar fashion in game two. Wabash trailed 6-3 after two innings before exploding for five runs in the third. A two-run single up the middle by Johnson brought home Deig and Seibel after an error had allowed the first run of the inning to score, tying the game at 6-6. Johnson came across with the go-ahead run on a ground out by Lares, then Tyson --- who finished 5-for-5 for the game --- scored on a sacrifice fly by Pennington.
Four more runs crossed the plate in the fourth, with the big blow coming on a bases-loaded triple by Lares --- his second triple of the game to tie the school record for triples in a game. Wabash scored in every inning, blowing the game open in the sixth with three runs, with two scoring on a double by Timmons. Johnson, Lares, and Brittian Warner each added RBI hits in the seventh to plate four more for the victory.
Chris Widup came in to the game for starter Keegan Leckrone. Widup worked five innings to record his third win of the season. The freshman allowed six hits and two runs with two strikeouts and no walks. Blake Mattingly pitched the seventh inning with a walk, a hit, and a strikeout. Leckrone lasted only one inning, surrendering six runs --- five earned --- on five hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Deig, Tyson, Lares, and Timmons (left) each finished with five hits for the day. Lares led Wabash with six RBI, while Pennington added four RBI.
Wabash (14-14, 7-1 NCAC) and Earlham (6-17, 1-11 NCAC) play the final two games of the series Sunday at noon.
Photos by Nancy Coggins.
