Wabash stayed close but lost both games of its season-opening baseball doubleheader against LaGrange College Saturday afternoon. The Little Giants fell 2-1 in game one before suffering a 3-0 loss in game two.
 
Jensen Kirch threw five shutout innings after surrendering two runs --- one unearned --- in the opening frame to the Panthers. He scattered seven hits and did not allow a walk. Kirch struck out three batters. Sophomore Alex Dickey pitched two shutout innings in relief, giving up one hits and striking out one of the seven batters he faced.
 
The Little Giants (0-2) broke up the shutout in the fourth. Freshman Tyler Downing opened the frame with a single up the middle, then moved to second on a single off the bat of Cole Harlacher. A ground out by David Oliger moved the runners to second and third. KJ Zelenika drove home the lone run of the game with a ground out that scored Downing.
 
Wabash rapped out seven hits in the second game. LaGrange (7-3) scratched out two runs in the fifth inning and another in the sixth off of starter Bryan Roberts. The sophomore pitched five total innings, giving up nine hits and one earned run along with two walks and one strikeout. Cody Cochran, Ryan Thomas, and Tyler Cooper held the Panthers without a hit over the final three innings. Thomas added two strikeouts on the mound, while Cooper gave up a walk in the eighth.
 
The Little Giants loaded the bases in the fourth inning with two outs on two hit batsmen and walk, but could end the shutout. Zelenika picked up a pair of hits to lead Wabash offensively.
 
The two teams close out the series with a single nine-inning game Sunday.