Wabash and Wooster combined to set a new NCAA Division III record Saturday in a wild 26-20 contest won by the home Scots as part of the North Coast Athletic Conference Crossover Series. Wooster took the doubleheader with an 8-6 victory in game one.
 
The two teams combined for 20 doubles in the nine-inning affair that more closely resembled a fall football matchup rather than a baseball game. The former NCAA DIII record was 15 set by Wesleyan and Western Connecticut on April 7, 1999 and tied by Marian (WI) vs. Maranatha Baptist on May 9, 2005. The Little Giants and Wooster each produced 10 two-base hits.
 
The game also reset single-game records in the Wabash scorebook for the most batters faced in a game (62), the most doubles by a Little Giant team (10). Andrew Rodgers tied the school record for the second-most RBI in a game with seven. Rodgers blasted a pair of home runs --- also tying for the second-most in a single game in Wabash history --- in addition to one of the 10 doubles.
 
David Oliger paced Wabash with two doubles. Lucas Stippler, Cole Harlacher, Clint Scarborough, Tyler Owensby, Tyler Hampton, and Austin Ellingwood joined Rodgers with one double apiece.
 
Wooster's Frank Vance tied the DIII record for doubles in a game with five.
 
The 20 runs by the Little Giants are the most since Wabash handed Case Western Reserve a 20-15 defeat in Chillicothe, Ohio in 2011. The 26 runs by an opposing team are the most since Indiana University defeated Wabash 32-4 in 1956.
 
The Little Giants held a 13-10 lead through six innings. Wabash trailed 7-5 entering the fifth before tallying five runs. Three came home on a home run to right center off the first pitch to Rodgers and Owensby's RBI single drew the Wabash to within a run. Owensby produced a pair runs in the sixth with his double to put the Little Giants up 13-9.
 
After scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth, Wooster erupted for a 12-run seventh that put the Scots in the lead for good. Wabash scored three runs in the eighth on home runs by Rodgers and Hampton and four more in the ninth off doubles by the same duo to produce the final 46-run outburst by the two squads.
 
The two teams combined to use 12 pitchers in the ERA-ravaging affair. Christian Vukas took the loss for Wabash, while Joey Gilmore --- the sixth pitcher of the game for the Scots --- earned his first victory of the year. Wabash outhit Wooster 24-20, with Owensby pacing Wabash with four hits in the game. Vance finished with six hits for Wooster. Wabash drew nine walks and struck out eight times. Wooster received 11 walks and struck out six times.  
 
Both teams used the long ball to come up with the final 8-6 contest in game one. David Oliger launched his first career grand slam in the eighth to cut into a 7-0 Wooster lead before Hampton's two-run shot brought Wabash to within a pair of runs in the ninth. The Little Giants brought the tying run to the plate with two outs but could not draw even.
 
Oliger led Wabash in game one by collecting three of the team's nine hits. The Scots (32-7, 16-2 NCAC) finished with 13 hits, including three home runs. Jensen Kirch took the loss for Wabash, working 5-1/3 innings of 11-hit ball. Matt Bowman pitched the final 2-2/3 innings. Michael Houdek won his seventh game of the year. Michael Whitaker notched his eighth save.
 
The two victories give Wooster one of four spots in next week's NCAC Tournament to be held in Chillicothe. Wabash drops to 12-25 overall and 4-14 in conference games. The two teams conclude the series Sunday with a single nine-inning game, the final contest for the Little Giants this season.