RICHMOND, Ind. — The Earlham College baseball team split a doubleheader on Sunday as the Quakers faced Kalamazoo College on the final day of a three-game series at Randal R. Sadler Stadium.

Earlham rallied to win the second game 7-6 with three runs in the bottom of the ninth, while the Hornets won the first contest 5-4 in 12 innings.

With the Quakers trailing 6-4 in the second affair, Devin Spurgon doubled to lead off the ninth inning. Josh Parr singled to drive in Spurgon to cut the deficit in half.

Drew Dietz was called on to pinch-run for Parr and Eric Elkus entered in game as a pinch-hitter. Elkus delivered a sacrifice bunt to move Dietz to second.

With Tyler Funkhouser at the plate as a pinch-hitter, Dietz spinted to third on a wild pitch. Funkhouser then hit into a fielder's choice allowing Dietz to race home to beat a tag attempt by the Kalamazoo catcher to tie the score.

Later in the inning, Earlham loaded the bases and Brennan Laird coaxed a walk to drive in Ethan Bailey with the decisive run as the Quakers claimed the series win.  

Drew Lively (1-0) got the final out of the eighth inning and worked the ninth to pick up the win for the Quakers.

Bryce Rainey started on the mound for the Quakers and tossed the first three frames. Kyle Agius was next and went until there were two out in the seventh. Matt Mathies worked a scoreless inning just before Lively entered the contest.

Matt Barger led the Quakers with three hits, while Spurgon and Parr had two apiece.

EC Falls Behind Early

After falling behind 5-0 through three innings of the second game, the Quakers battled back.

Laird had a sacrifice fly in the fourth. In the fifth, Mike Messina added a RBI ground out before Barger made it 5-3 with a run-scoring single.

Thomas Rea doubled to drive in a run in the eighth to make it 5-4. The Hornets finished their day offensively with a run in the ninth to set the stage for the game-winning rally by the Quakers.

The Opener

In the opener, Kalamazoo grabbed an early lead with a run in the first before the Quakers tied at 1-1 in the third. Bailey scored on an error after the Kalamazoo centerfielder mishandled a single by Nate Lynch.

Kalamazoo took a 4-1 lead in the fifth as the Hornets scored three times.

A three-run ninth-inning rally by the Quakers gave them a chance to win. A double by Laird scored two runs and he eventually scored on a fielder's choice by Cody Krumlauf.

Unfortunately for the Quakers, they left the bases loaded in the 11th, which allowed the Hornets to score in the top of the 12th against Matt Brankle.

The Quakers eventually loaded the bases again in their half of the 12th, but they couldn't score.

Brankle (0-1) took the loss as he gave up a run on three hits in 2⅓ innings.

Earlham starter Howie Smith worked five innings surrendering four runs on six hits with six strikeouts. John Cornett and Garrett York both went 2⅓ innings and didn't allow a run.

Brandon Smalling led the Quakers with three hits, while Lynch, Laird and Rea had two each.

Next up for Earlham (3-1) is a doubleheader that was added to the schedule to replace what was to be the season-opening series at the University of the South.

The Quakers entertain Robert Morris University-Springfield on Wednesday with the first game beginning at 1 p.m.