CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wabash erupted for 12 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Monday afternoon at Birdzell Field, wiping out an eight-run deficit in stunning fashion to rally past Eureka College 12-11 in a non-conference thriller.
The Little Giants (9-17) trailed 8-0 after Eureka scored three runs in the first, three more in the second, and added two in the sixth. Wabash finally broke through in the home half of the sixth, sending 16 men to the plate and collecting 11 hits in the frame to completely flip the game.
Ben Henke started the rally with a single before DJ Mendez followed with a base hit. After a sacrifice fly by Bradley Gilliam plated the first run, Kade Buecher punched an RBI single up the middle and Andrew Sun ripped a two-run double to deep left to trim the deficit to 8-4. Miles Cvelbar kept the inning alive with a bunt single, Caleb Ellspermann added an RBI single, and Henke drove in another run with a base hit to left-center.
Mendez then delivered the biggest hit of the inning to that point, lining a two-run double to score Ellspermann and Henke for an 8-7 game. Parker Smith followed with an RBI single to tie the contest before Jimmy Hawksworth singled to keep the pressure on. Two batters later, Gilliam launched a three-run home run to deep left field, capping the 12-run explosion and giving Wabash its first lead of the day at 12-8.
Gilliam finished with a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, a sacrifice fly, and a stolen base. Mendez also starred offensively, finishing 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored. Henke went 5-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, while Sun added a double, two RBI, and a run scored. Ellspermann scored once, drove in one, and stole a base as part of Wabash's 16-hit attack.
Eureka (5-22) refused to go quietly, scoring once in the seventh and putting together a two-run rally in the ninth to cut the margin to one. With the tying and go-ahead runs aboard, freshman left-hander Bryce Haney entered and induced the game-ending groundout to second to record his first save of the season.
Senior Jackson Woehr earned the victory in relief, allowing two earned runs over 4.2 innings with two strikeouts. Nick Wangler started and worked 1.1 innings, while Isaac Stallings, Trey Pitcock, Jackson Fronek, Connor Lambert, and Haney combined to navigate the final three innings. The Wabash staff struck out six and worked around 16 Eureka hits.
Stallings was first out of the bullpen after Woehr's extended relief stint, recording one out in the seventh before Trey Pitcock entered to strand the inning. Pitcock worked through additional pressure in the eighth, allowing one run but striking out a batter in a key spot to preserve a three-run cushion.
The ninth inning brought the most dramatic moment of the day. Sophomore left-hander Jackson Fronek opened the frame and quickly retired the first two hitters before Eureka pieced together back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases. Connor Lambert entered next and issued another walk that forced home a run, trimming the margin to 12-10. A second bases-loaded walk cut the lead to a single run and brought the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position.
That set the stage for Haney.
The freshman southpaw entered with two outs, the bases loaded, and the tying run 90 feet away. Haney needed only four pitches, throwing two strikes, to get Grant Hackney to bounce a ground ball to second baseman Jimmy Hawksworth, who made the routine play to end the game and seal Haney's first collegiate save. The outing officially lasted one-third of an inning, but it came in the game's highest-leverage moment and preserved one of Wabash's most dramatic wins of the season.
Woehr earned the win with perhaps the most stabilizing pitching performance of the afternoon. After replacing Wangler with one out in the second inning and the Little Giants already trailing 6-0, the senior right-hander gave Wabash 4.2 innings of much-needed length. He allowed seven hits and two earned runs, struck out two, and repeatedly worked out of traffic to keep the deficit manageable long enough for the offense to rally. His ability to bridge the middle innings proved crucial to the comeback.
Wangler was tagged with six runs—only one earned—over the opening 1.1 innings as Eureka capitalized on a pair of Wabash errors to build the early lead. Despite the rough start, the Little Giants' pitching staff settled in enough to give the offense a chance, combining for six strikeouts over nine innings.
At the plate, Gilliam led the 16-hit attack by going 4-for-4 with a three-run homer, four RBI, a sacrifice fly, and a stolen base. Mendez finished 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored, while Henke delivered a 2-for-5 afternoon with two runs and an RBI.
Wabash returns to action Tuesday with a 4 p.m. non-conference road game at Earlham College.
