CRAWSFORDSVILLE, Ind. - The Wittenberg Tigers missed out on a golden opportunity Sunday, suffering a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the host Wabash Little Giants by scores of 3-1 and 11-8. It was Wittenberg's third split of a four-game series in as many weeks, leaving the Tigers without control of their own destiny heading into the fourth and final North Coast Athletic Conference West Division series at Earlham in two weeks.
The Tigers also missed out on an opportunity to make Head Coach Jay Lewis the winningest baseball coach in school history. Lewis won his record-tying 203rd career game on Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader, matching the win total of legendary Howard "Red" Maurer, who won 203 games between 1951 and 1975. Wittenberg now has a 14-12 overall record in the 2006 season, including a mark of 6-6 in the NCAC West.
Since only two teams from the West Division can make the annual NCAC Baseball Tournament, the Tigers now must sweep all four games from Earlham and hope for some breaks. Wabash is 6-2 with series remaining against divisional powerhouses Denison and Ohio Wesleyan, both of whom split four-gamers on the Tigers' home turf already this season.
In the opener Sunday, senior righthander Steve Less allowed eight hits and two walks, but he kept his team in the game, allowing just three earned runs. However, the Tigers were stumped offensively, managing just four hits and a lone run, that coming on an RBI single in the second inning by freshman outfielder Patrick Williams. Wabash rallied with a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
In the second game, the Tigers were forced to rally from an early 7-1 deficit, which they did with seven runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings combined. After senior shortstop K.R. Schlievert homered in the first inning, sophomore catcher Matt Steinke and sophomore infielder Tyler Christello punctuated the mid-game rally with two-run homers that drew the Tigers even.
However, in the bottom of the sixth, the Little Giants struck for three runs on four consecutive two-out hits to capture the victory. Schlievert finished the game with three runs scored and Steinke and Christello had three RBI each.