DANVILLE, Ky. — The Wabash College baseball team rallied to erase a two-run deficit and forced a late tie, but Centre College delivered a walk-off run in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Little Giants 5–4 Sunday afternoon and complete a three-game series sweep.
Wabash (3-5) finished with 10 hits compared to nine for Centre (10-2), but the Colonels pushed across the decisive run in the final frame to secure the victory.
The Little Giants struck first in the opening inning. Caleb Ellspermann led off the game with a double down the right-field line and moved to third on a flyout before Ben Henke lined an RBI single to left field to give Wabash a 1-0 lead.
Centre responded quickly in the bottom of the first. After Ayden Lohr reached with a walk, Evan Weyler launched a two-run home run to left field to put the Colonels ahead 2-1.
The score remained unchanged until the fifth inning when Wabash evened the game. Aiden Ramsey opened the frame with a single and later scored when Will McKinzie grounded out to shortstop for an RBI to tie the contest at 2-2.
Centre regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. J.T. Weisberg singled and later scored on an RBI single by Chase Austin before another run crossed the plate when Aaron Lopez reached on a Wabash fielding error, pushing the Colonels ahead 4-2.
Wabash answered again in the seventh inning with a two-run rally. Aiden Ramsey singled to start the frame and Jimmy Hawksworth followed with a double down the left-field line. Caleb Ellspermann then delivered a clutch single up the middle to drive in both runners and tie the game at 4-4.
The Little Giants threatened again in the ninth when Ramsey and Hawksworth produced back-to-back singles with two outs, but Centre reliever Pierre Kauffmann induced a groundout to end the inning.
Centre capitalized in the bottom half of the frame. Matthew Maggard singled as a pinch hitter and later advanced to second on a balk. After a walk to Chase Austin, Weyler lined a single to left field that allowed pinch-runner Wesley Taylor to score the winning run.
Ellspermann paced the Wabash offense with two hits and two RBI, while Ramsey went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Henke added two hits and an RBI, and Hawksworth finished with two hits including a double and a run scored.
Wabash starter Aidan McConnell turned in a solid outing, pitching six innings and allowing four runs—three earned—on seven hits while striking out three. Bryce Haney took the loss after allowing one run over 2? innings of relief with two strikeouts.
Centre starter Andrew Zimmerman worked 6? innings and allowed four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts before Kauffmann earned the victory by recording the final three outs.
Weyler led the Colonels offensively with three RBI, including the first-inning home run and the walk-off single.
Wabash continues its spring break trip Tuesday with a single game at Piedmont University scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch.
