Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Nineteen innings of hard-fought, fundamental baseball ended in two losses to Denison Friday for Wabash. The Little Giants fell 1-0 in eight innings in game one of the double header, then loss 3-2 in an 11-inning affair.
"It was great baseball all day," Coach Cory Stevens said. "Good pitching, good defense, both teams were battling. It just came down to the ball falling one way or the other. Obviously you want to come out with the win, but our guys battled."
Starting pitchers
Ross Hendrickson and
JT Miller each took the tough losses for the Little Giants (15-13, 6-4 NCAC West). Hendrickson pitched all eight innings of game one, allowing five hits and one earned run while also recording four strikeouts in 108 pitches. Miller followed with an exhausting 11-inning, 136-pitch outing in game two. Miller set a new Wabash record for innings pitched by a starter in one game by throwing all 11 frames. He allowed three runs on 11 hits and struck out seven.
"I just like to compete," Miller said. "I like to be the man out there on the mound — the guy everybody else leans on to lead them to victory. I just tried to stay mentally tough, but everybody was tired. Don't forget, Ross dominated through eight innings but had the same kind of situation."
Of course, Denison (14-11, 10-2 NCAC West) pitchers were equally impressive. Connor Murphy picked up the game-one win going eight innings in the shutout with seven strikeouts for his second complete-game shutout of the season. Starter Ian Barry was dealt a no decision in game two for the Big Red. Barry threw six innings and allowed one-earned run on seven hits. Big Red reliever Connor Hanrahan surrendered one hit in three-and-two-thirds innings of work while striking out five. Ryan Mulligan, who started each game at short stop, notched the win after he threw an inning and a third.
"Denison's pitchers kept it in the game and were able to get out of innings when we had runners in scoring position," Miller said. "We have confidence in all of our hitters that they're going to get the big hit when we need it. It's a frustrating loss but we're not going to hang our heads. We're going to come back tomorrow and our bats will come around."
The Little Giants had opportunities in each game. In the bottom of the seventh of game one with runners on first and second and one out,
Andrew Rodgers drilled a pitch the opposite way. However, the ball traveled straight into the second baseman's mitt and
Clint Scarborough was doubled off first. In the bottom of the fifth inning of game two Wabash had runners on second and third with one out. Murphy ended the threat though by striking out
Tyler Owensby and forcing
Tyler Hampton to fly out.
"If you look at that first game, Rodgers has an outstanding at bat and ropes a line drive to their second baseman right on the screws," Stevens said. "On the flip side of that, their guys fists a little blooper out into centerfield and that scores a run for them."
Duncan Moran drove in game one's lone run with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Tucker Davison scored from second on soft single to center. The Big Red found success with two outs in game two also. Again, with a runner on second and two outs, Georgie Montes answered the call for Denison. His second RBI of game two proved to be the winner as he lined a shot through the left side, scoring Charlie Apfelbach.
The tough losses moved Denison three games ahead of Wabash in the NCAC West division. The Little Giants are now tied for second with DePauw. Wabash will need to show its resiliency Saturday as it tries to tie the important series against the Big Red.
"We just have to keep the energy up," Miller said. "There's no reason to hang our heads. These were great, well-played baseball games. It's just the nature of the beast."
Saturday's doubleheader will start at 12 p.m. at Goodrich Ballpark.
