A late rally by the Earlham College Quakers kept Wabash from sweeping the four-game weekend baseball series after the Little Giants opened Sunday's play with a come-from-behind 17-11 win. Earlham scored six runs in the final two innings to defeat Wabash 6-5 in the nightcap.
The three victories in North Coast Athletic Conference West Division play allow Wabash to maintain its lead in the divisional standings. The Little Giants improve to 8-2 overall, while Ohio Wesleyan took three at Denison to move to 8-4 in the NCAC West with a weekend series at Wittenberg. The Little Giants play host to Denison on Saturday and Sunday in another key NCAC West Division four-game series.
The Little Giants exploded for six runs in the second inning of Sunday's first game, thanks in part to an RBI double by PJ Tyson. Tyson (right, blocking the plate on a play at the plate) scored from second to plays later by hustling home on a fielder's choice off the bat of John Pennington. Montana Timmons collected his second hit of the inning to complete the scoring, cracking a two-run single to score Pennington and Tanner Coggins.
Unfortunately Wabash gave six runs right back to the Quakers thanks to a two-run homer by Connor Gable and three Little Giant errors in the bottom of the second. Earlham would eventually take an 11-9 lead, scoring its final run when Ross Yoho hit his second homer of the game in the fifth. A switch hitter, Yoho blasted a two-run from the left side of the plate in the third inning before belting his solo shot from the right side in the fifth.
Wabash eventually rallied for five runs in the sixth inning. A Chris Deig single and a double by David Seibel led to a sacrifice fly by Joe Johnson to cut the two-run Earlham lead in half. Tyson tied the game at 11 with an RBI single up the middle before Pennington broke the game open with an RBI triple, scoring himself when the throw to third sailed into left field to allow the sophomore shortstop to circle the bases. Coggins followed with another triple, scoring a few pitches later on a passed ball. The Little Giants added three runs in seventh courtesy of an RBI single by Seibel, a run-scoring double from Tyson, and a sacrifice fly by Brian Lares for the six-run victory.
Pete Schmith picked up his second win in relief of starter Eric Foust. Foust threw three innings, giving up five hits and eight runs, although only five were earned. He walked three batters. Schmith worked 2-1/3 innings of four-hit baseball, surrendering three runs. Luke Zinsmaster closed out the final 1-2/3 innings, shutting out the Quakers with four strikeouts to go with three hits to record his third save of the season.
The Wabash bats were silenced for most of game two Sunday. The Little Giants collected only four hits, the biggest coming on a three-run homer by Johnson in the fourth to lift Wabash to a 5-0 lead. Tyson, Lares, and Coggins joined Johnson (left, tagging out a runner in field at second base) with hits in the game.
Starting pitcher Brian Van Duyn cruised through the first five innings, facing the minimum 12 batters in the first four innings. He forced a ground out for the first out of the sixth inning, but followed with two walks and four hits in the inning to surrender four runs before stranding the bases loaded at the end of the inning. He left the game at the end of the sixth with three strikeouts and two walks while giving up six hits.
Zinsmaster came on in the seventh to try and close out the game, but opened with a walk to Andrew Morrical. A single by Tyler Schroeder was followed by a slap single by Jake Carr past a drawn-in Seibel at third, tying the game at 5-5. Chris Baumann ended the game with a walk-off single to left to score Schroeder. The loss dropped Zinsmaster to 1-2 for the season.
Tyson was 5-for-8 for the day, while Johnson and Coggins each added four hits. Tyson picked up 10 hits over the four games, hitting safely in seven straight trips to the plate over a two-day period in game two Saturday and game one Sunday. Timmons collected eight hits in the series, while Johnson and Lares added seven hits to their season totals.
Wabash improved to 15-15 overall for the year with the three weekend victories. The Little Giants play a nine-inning game at home on Wednesday against DePauw University before the weekend series versus Denison starting Saturday.
Game one - Wabash 17, Earlham 11 (box score)
Game two - Earlham 6, Wabash 5 (box score)