Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 There are few must-win games in baseball, but when your only senior pitcher throws 139 times a team has to find a way to score the victory. Wabash found a way to get a 7-6 win in 10 innings over Hiram in Chris Widup's last career start Saturday afternoon shortly after the host Terriers came from behind for an 8-7 victory in the first game.

The outing was far from perfect for Widup, who pitched all 10 innings and nearly threw 100 strikes— 95 out of his 139 tosses to the plate. He gave up two early runs, then surrended another four (three earned) in the fourth for a 6-0 lead in favor of Hiram (15-21, 3-15 NCAC). Widup finished the game allowing 13 hits with three walks and a hit batsman while striking out four. He picked up his third win of the season and 14th of his four-year career as a starter for the Little Giants.

Wabash began its rally with a pair of runs in the fourth. With the Little Giants batting last in the three-game series tournament format, Clint Scarborough and Tyler Owensby drilled back-to-back one-out singles. Christian Vukas smashed a double to right-center to score both runners and cut into the Hiram lead.

The Little Giants would not threaten again until the eighth inning when shortstop Lucas Stippler started the frame with a single, then scored one batter later on a double by Robby Hechinger. After stealing third to record his 25 theft of the season, Hechinger came home on a groundout by Scarborough to cut the lead to 6-4. Owensby followed Scarborough with a two-out double to bring Vukas back to the plate. The freshman belted his first career home run to left-center field to tie the game at 6-6.

The only time it appeared Widup might leave the contest came on a ground ball back to the mound in the top of the 10th. A hard-hit ground ball glanced off the foot of the senior pitcher. Widup recovered and threw out the batter, then took a series of warmup tosses after convincing head coach Cory Stevens and trainer Mark Colston no harm had occured. Widup surrendered a two-out single before inducing a ground ball to first that ended the inning.

The Little Giants turned to Vukas once more for the final heroics. Trey Fankauser opened the bottom of the tenth with a walk, then moved to third on consecutive ground outs by Scarborough and Owensby. Vukas hit a high chopper to third that was thrown away by the Terriers' third baseman, allowing Fankhauser to score the walkoff winning run.

Vukas finished the game with two hits and five RBI. Hechinger, Owensby, and Stippler also had two hits apiece.

Wabash lost a 5-2 lead in the first contest before losing by a walkoff run in bottom of the ninth by Hiram. JT Miller scattered eight hits over seven innings with two walks and nine strikeouts and a three-run advantage when he left the game. Vukas came on in relief, but gave up four runs over 2/3 of an inning. Alan Corey came on to give up one hit before retiring the final out of the eighth inning with Wabash trailing 6-5.

The Little Giants took a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth with a sacrifice fly by Fankhauser to score Hayden Williams with the game-tying run. A fielding error by the Terriers brought Tanner Watson home with the go-ahead run, setting up Wabash for a possible win.

Hiram had other plans in its half of the ninth inning. The Terriers loaded the bases, then tied the game with a walk before an error on a throw to the plate on the next play ended the contest in favor of Hiram.

Nelson Novack took the loss, working a third of an inning with two hits, two runs (one earned), and two walks.

Owensby had two of the eight hits for Wabash in the first game, including a two-run double that hit at the top of the left-center field wall.

Wabash (15-23, 7-11 NCAC) completes the three-game series agains the Terriers Sunday at noon. The Little Giants will travel to Rose-Hulman Monday evening for the season finale.