Wabash rallied for a split in its two Monday games at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona. The Little Giants defeated Wheaton College 12-5 in game one before losing in the bottom of the ninth to Waldorf University 7-6 in game two.
 
Wabash (5-2) handed Wheaton (5-1) its first loss of the season thanks to a three-run fourth inning. The Little Giants tied the score twice in the early innings. Wabash matched Wheaton's two runs in the first inning with a pair of runs in the second with an RBI double by Austin Simmers and a single by Josh Weidenbenner. The Thunder regained the lead with two more runs in the top of the third inning before Wabash responded with a two-run single from Cole Vassilo in the bottom of third to move within a run of the Thunder at 4-3.
 
The Little Giants took their first lead in the game thanks to the three-run outburst in the fourth inning. Jackson Blevins followed a Cameron Martin leadoff single with a triple off the base of the center field wall. Blevins came home to score on a double by Andrew Jumonville. Sean Smith drove in the third run of the inning two batters later with an RBI single to center field.
 
Wabash pushed five more runs across the plate in the seventh inning to break the game open. Wheaton had cut the Little Giants' lead to 6-4 with a run in the top half of the seventh inning. Martin started the scoring for Wabash with a sacrifice fly to bring home Simmers. Blevins added another RBI with a single to center to score pinch runner Brady Walden. Jumonville plated another run with his RBI double. Smith followed with another RBI single before Drew Prather pushed the lead to 12-5 with his sacrifice fly.
 
Freshman Michael Hoppel earned the win in relief of starter Logan Butrum. Hoppel pitched 1-2/3 innings without allowing a hit. He gave up four walks and struck out one batter. Sam Phillips, Eric Murphy, Mitch Bertrand, and Erik Lakomek combined to limit Wheaton to one run and four hits over 4-2/3 innings. Murphy and Bertrand each struck out one batter while Lakomek fanned three of the four batters he faced in the ninth inning to preserve the win.
 
The Little Giants' bats were silenced for the first four innings of the second game against the NAIA program from Waldorf University (5-14). Wabash did not pick up a hit until Smith singled up the middle to open the fifth inning. The Little Giants trailed Waldorf 4-0 before scoring two runs in the sixth inning. Jumonville drove in the first run with a sacrifice bunt and reached base safely on a throwing error by the Warriors. He came home to score on Canton Terry's fielder's choice to cut the Waldorf lead to 4-2.
 
The Warriors added a run in the bottom of the sixth to move in front 6-2. Wabash rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to even the score at 6-6. Jumonville started the rally with a double to left ahead of an RBI double by Matthew Annee. Terry added an RBI single to left to bring home Annee with the second run of the inning. Martin added an RBI single to score Martin to tie the score at 6-6.
 
The score remained tied into the bottom of the ninth inning when the Warriors scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth with a sacrifice fly to claim the 7-6 win.
 
Smith finished with two hits in the game to pace the Wabash offense. Martin and Terry both produced two RBI. Parker Noll took the loss despite pitching 3-2/3 innings of relief of four-hit baseball. He allowed only one walk with one strikeout. Ryan Bradtke pitched five innings in his first collegiate start. He struck out six batters. He surrendered four runs on eight hits and walked two batters.
 
The Little Giants continue their spring break week in Arizona on Tuesday when they face Dordt College at 6:30 p.m. MST.