OBERLIN, Ohio — Wabash put an end to its seven-game skid with an offensive eruption in Friday's opener, then watched a six-run lead disappear in the nightcap as the Little Giants settled for a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader split at Oberlin. Wabash rolled to a 14-11 victory in game one before the Yeomen answered with a 7-6 walk-off win in 10 innings in game two.
The split moved Wabash to 6-14 overall and 1-2 in NCAC play, while Oberlin finished the day 11-8-1 overall and 1-1 in the league. Across the two games, the Little Giants totaled 20 runs on 23 hits, but Oberlin matched that output with 18 runs and 30 hits over 19 innings
.
Game one turned into an early slugfest. Oberlin jumped in front 2-0 on solo home runs by Patrick Leonard and Kyle Baxt in the first, but Wabash answered with a decisive seven-run second inning to seize control.
Caleb Ellspermann's sacrifice fly got the Little Giants on the board before
Ben Henke ripped a three-run double to left.
Will Wallace followed with an RBI double, and
Jimmy Hawksworth capped the rally with a two-run single for a 7-2 lead.
Oberlin answered with four runs in the bottom of the second to trim the margin to one, but Wabash kept adding on. Hawksworth doubled home a run in the fourth and
DJ Mendez added a sacrifice fly later in the inning. Wallace drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth, then delivered the knockout blow in the seventh with a towering grand slam to left-center that pushed the lead to 14-8.
Wallace powered the opener by going 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, and six RBI. Henke went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI, while Hawksworth added three hits and three RBI. Mendez finished 3-for-4 with an RBI, and
Will McKinzie scored three times while reaching base five times.
Caleb Everson earned the win to improve to 2-1, working 5 2/3 innings despite allowing eight runs on 11 hits.
Miles Williams steadied the middle innings with 2 1/3 frames, and
Trey Pitcock closed the door with a scoreless ninth for his first save.
The nightcap looked headed for another Wabash win after the Little Giants raced to a 6-0 advantage through two innings.
Ben Henke drove in
Caleb Ellspermann in the first,
Will McKinzie followed with a sacrifice fly, and
Aiden Ramsey tripled home
Jimmy Hawksworth in the second. Henke and McKinzie each added RBI singles later in the inning before
DJ Mendez forced in another run with a bases-loaded walk.
Oberlin chipped away methodically. Daniel Krabill drove in a run in the second, Leonard homered in the third, and the Yeomen added single runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to tie the score at 6-6. Wabash's offense, which had produced seven hits in the first two innings, was limited to just one hit over the final eight frames as Oberlin's bullpen took over.
The game reached the 10th still tied before Oberlin loaded the bases with one out. After Patrick Leonard's flyout nearly extended the contest, Brady Groves lined a walk-off single to left to score Ryan Robinson and complete the comeback.
Henke again led Wabash in game two, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, giving him a six-hit, five-RBI day. Ellspermann scored twice and collected two hits, while McKinzie drove in two more runs. Ramsey's RBI triple accounted for the lone extra-base hit in the second game.
For the twin bill, Henke starred by batting 6-for-9 with five RBI and four runs scored. Wallace drove in six in the opener, Hawksworth finished the day with four hits and three RBI, and McKinzie combined to score three runs with four RBI in the two contests. Ellspermann scored three times in the doubleheader, continuing to ignite the top of the order.
Bryce Haney gave Wabash three innings in the start of game two,
Jackson Woehr covered two innings of relief, and
Jarrod Kirsch took the hard-luck loss after 4 2/3 innings, allowing the winning run in the 10th.
Wabash plays number-one ranked Denison at home for the season-opener at Goodrich Ballpark on Wednesday, April 8, with game one of the doubleheader beginning at noon.
