CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wabash College built an early eight-run lead, then turned to its bullpen to hold off Franklin College for a 10-7 non-conference baseball victory Wednesday evening at Birdzell Field at Goodrich Ballpark.
The Little Giants (12-25) answered Franklin's first-inning run with two in the bottom half, then broke the game open with a seven-run second inning. Franklin (20-17) scored twice in the third, fifth and sixth innings to trim the deficit to 9-7, but Wabash added an insurance run in the eighth before Trey Pitcock closed the game with a scoreless ninth.
Franklin grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Josh Girvan singled, advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt, moved to third on a Dyllan Redmon single, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Davis Wagner.
Wabash answered in the bottom of the first. Landen Basey opened the inning with a single and moved to third when Ben Henke flied out to center. DJ Mendez drove in Basey with a fielder's choice to tie the score. Kade Buecher and Jimmy Hawksworth walked to load the bases before Aiden Ramsey was hit by a pitch to force home Mendez and give Wabash a 2-1 lead.
The Little Giants sent 12 batters to the plate in the second inning and scored seven runs on four hits. Andrew Sun led off with a single and stole second, then scored on Ryan Williams' sacrifice fly. Henke and Mendez were hit by pitches before Buecher ripped a two-run triple to right center to make it 5-1. Hawksworth followed with an RBI triple, then scored on a wild pitch.
Ramsey walked, and Nate Brumfield drove him in with a triple to right field. Brumfield later scored on another wild pitch, giving Wabash a 9-1 lead after two innings.
Franklin began cutting into the deficit in the third. Jaxon Henke singled, Garrett DeHart doubled, and Girvan brought home Henke with a sacrifice fly. Redmon followed with an RBI single up the middle to trim the Wabash lead to 9-3.
The Grizzlies added two unearned runs in the fifth. DeHart walked and moved to third on Girvan's infield single and a Wabash throwing error. Girvan stole second and advanced to third on another throwing error as DeHart scored. Redmon's groundout brought home Girvan to make the score 9-5.
Franklin scored twice more in the sixth against Wabash reliever Jackson Woehr. Noah Loveall doubled down the left-field line, and Zander Cobb singled to put runners at the corners. After Cobb stole second, Colin Goley grounded out to shortstop to score Loveall. Gavin Fields followed with an RBI groundout to bring home Cobb, cutting Wabash's lead to 9-7.
Woehr settled in from there, retiring Franklin in order in the seventh. He worked around a two-out walk in the eighth to preserve the two-run lead. Woehr's appearance was the 58th of his career, tying him for first place in Wabash baseball history with Matt McGuire, Luke Zinsmaster, and Zach Moffett.
Wabash added a key insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Mendez tripled, and Hawksworth delivered a two-out single to shallow right field to score Mendez for a 10-7 lead.
Pitcock pitched the ninth for Wabash and retired the side without allowing a hit. He got Kam Seitz to pop into a double play, struck out Jaxon Henke, and retired DeHart on a groundout to shortstop to finish the win.
Hawksworth led Wabash offensively, going 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs, one run and one walk. Basey finished 2-for-4 with a double, a run and a walk. Mendez scored three times and drove in a run, while Buecher went 1-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs, one run and one walk. Brumfield added an RBI triple, Sun singled, walked, stole a base and scored, and Williams drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Wabash finished with nine hits, including five extra-base hits. The Little Giants drew seven walks and had three batters hit by pitches. Franklin had eight hits and left three runners on base, while Wabash left nine.
Isaac Stallings earned the win for Wabash, improving to 2-1. He pitched five innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Woehr worked three innings in relief, giving up two earned runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout. Pitcock threw one scoreless inning, allowing no hits or walks while striking out one.
Franklin starter Brayton Belcher took the loss, allowing two earned runs on one hit and three walks in two-thirds of an inning. The Grizzlies used eight pitchers in the game.
Wabash wraps up the 2026 season Saturday with a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader against the College of Wooster. First pitch is set for noon immediately following a ceremony honoring the team's seniors.
