GREENCASTLE, Ind. — Wabash College turned a rough start to Tuesday's North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader into one of its strongest offensive performances of the season, bouncing back from a 13-2 loss to DePauw University with a 15-3 victory in the second game at Walker Field.
The Little Giants (11-25, 4-10 NCAC) finished the rivalry twin bill with 23 hits, including 19 in the game-two win. DePauw moved to 26-11 overall and 11-5 in conference play after the split.
DePauw controlled the opener from the first inning, scoring twice in the first, five times in the second, twice in the third, once in the fourth and three times in the fifth. Wabash broke through in the seventh when Will Wallace and Jimmy Hawksworth drew walks, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Will Fremion's two-run single to center field.
Fremion drove in both Wabash runs in the first game. Landen Basey, Will McKinzie, Ben Henke and Fremion each collected one hit for the Little Giants.
Caleb Everson took the loss for Wabash, allowing nine runs, seven earned, on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Nick Wangler worked 1 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits with four walks and one strikeout. Connor Lambert closed the game with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits while walking two.
The second game started in similar fashion when DePauw scored twice in the first inning on a Grady Johnson RBI single and a Cuinn Morrow sacrifice fly. Wabash began its comeback in the third when Aiden Ramsey homered to left field to cut the margin to 2-1.
The Little Giants moved in front with a three-run fifth inning. Ramsey singled, Andrew Sun followed with a single and Basey reached on a bunt single to load the bases. McKinzie walked to force in Ramsey and tie the game. Henke followed with a bases-loaded walk to score Sun, and Parker Smith drove in Basey with a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 Wabash lead.
DePauw answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth on Max Bond's RBI single, but Wabash broke the game open with five runs in the sixth. Hawksworth was hit by a pitch, Ryan Williams singled and Sun delivered an RBI single to score Hawksworth. Basey followed with an RBI single to bring home Williams. Henke singled to score Sun, Smith added another sacrifice fly and Kade Buecher singled home McKinzie to extend the lead to 9-3.
Wabash added three more runs in the seventh. Williams singled, Ramsey reached on an error and Sun added a bunt single to load the bases. Basey singled home Williams, McKinzie hit a sacrifice fly to score Ramsey and Henke singled to drive in Sun for a 12-3 lead.
Buecher capped the win in the ninth with a three-run homer to right center, scoring McKinzie and Henke.
Jarrod Kirsch earned the victory with eight strong innings for Wabash. The left-hander allowed three earned runs on 10 hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Bryce Haney pitched a scoreless ninth, allowing one hit and one walk.
Sun finished the second game 4-for-5 with three runs and one RBI. Basey went 3-for-6 with two runs and two RBIs. Henke was 3-for-5 with a run, three RBIs and a walk. Buecher went 3-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs. McKinzie finished 2-for-3 with a double, two runs, two RBIs and two walks, while Ramsey went 2-for-5 with three runs and a solo homer. Williams added two hits and two runs.
For the doubleheader, Basey finished 4-for-9 with two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base. Henke went 4-for-8 with one run, three RBIs and one walk. McKinzie was 3-for-6 with two runs, two RBIs, two walks and a double. Sun went 4-for-5 with three runs and one RBI, while Buecher finished 3-for-6 with one run, four RBIs and a home run. Ramsey went 2-for-5 with three runs, one RBI and a homer. Fremion added a hit and two RBIs in the opener.
Wabash totaled 17 runs and 23 hits over the two games. DePauw finished with 16 runs and 24 hits. The Little Giants left 15 runners on base in the doubleheader, while DePauw stranded 19.
Wabash returns to action at home Wednesday evening with a 5 p.m. single game against in-state rival Franklin College.
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