The Wabash baseball team played a pair of slugfests in its opening series of 2017. The Little Giants pounded out 29 hits in two games but came up short in 8-6 and 12-11 losses Saturday at Transylvania University.
 
Wabash (0-2) held leads in both games thanks, in part, to the long ball. Zach Leander hit a two-run home run in game one to stake the Little Giants to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Transylvania (2-0) was held in check without a hit by Wabash starter Jensen Kirch through the first three innings before the Pioneers cracked the scoreboard with a two-run fourth on three hits. Transylvania took the lead with a pair of runs in sixth before the Little Giants regained the lead in the eighth off a two-run double by Jared Wolfe.
 
The Pioneers were not finished, however. The hosts scored four runs in the bottom half of the eights off of three hits and a pair of Wabash errors to move in front by two. Wabash loaded the bases in the ninth inning but could not produce the key hit to tie the game.
 
Kirch worked seven innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs while striking out six batters. Cameron Glaze took the loss in relief after giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk. Glaze struck out two in one inning on the mound.
 
Wabash scored early in game two, notching a three-run second inning off RBI singles by Cole Harlacher and Andrew Roginski. Transylvania tied the game in the bottom of the second, but Harlacher struck again, this time launching a two-run home run in the third for a 5-2 lead.
 
The Pioneers scored four in the bottom of the third, then added five in the fifth and an insurance run in the seventh. Wabash drew close in the seventh with a five-running inning. Wolfe bashed a triple to drive home one run, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Eric Chavez. Roginski  drove a base hit to left center, racing home on the second triple of the inning this time off the bat of Bryce Aldridge.
 
Bryan Roberts started game two for Wabash, throwing four innings of 13-hit baseball. He allowed seven earned runs and struck out three. Eric Murphy worked three innings with five hits allowed along with three runs. He took the loss for the Little Giants. Cody Cochran finished the fame, surrendering one hit and one walk in his lone inning of relief to go with one strikeout.
 
Harlacher collected six hits in eight at bats over the two Saturday contests. He drove home four runs. Tayler Canter added four hits in nine at bats, while freshman Henry Wannemuehler went 4-for-5 with three runs scored in his collegiate debut.
 
The weekend series concludes Sunday with a single, nine-inning game beginning at noon.