SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - If the first two meetings between Wittenberg and Wabash are any indicator of how tight the NCAC West division race will be this season, the Tigers will be in for one wild ride. A pair of seesaw meetings between the Tigers and Little Giants resulted in a pair of one-run thrillers, with the Little Giants claiming the opener 8-7 in extra innings while the Tigers returned the favor 2-1 in the nightcap.
Leadoff man Ray Noe (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome) could do little wrong in the opener, scoring two runs on his three hits. His second run on a sacrifice in the seventh tied the game at seven apiece and forced the extra frame. In the end, though, Wabash parlayed the momentum from a late inning comeback into a go-ahead run in the eighth, good enough for the win.
The second affair played into the hands of the pitchers, who controlled the tempo of the game while combining for only nine hits allowed. Sophomore Jordan Kegler (Hilliard, Ohio/Darby) tossed a three-hitter, allowing his only run on a home run in the fifth.
Kegler made a pair of first-inning markers for the Tigers stand up, with freshmanMatt Hampp (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) providing what proved to be the game-winning RBI.
The same two teams meet again from Carleton Davidson Stadium for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Wittenberg currently sits at 4-2 in the West Division, while Wabash trails by a game at 3-3.
Written by: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant