RICHMOND, Indiana – The Earlham College baseball team outscored Wilmington College 20-1 in a doubleheader sweep, winning game one 10-0 and game two 10-1 at Sadler Stadium on Saturday.
In game one, Earlham jumped on Wilmington early scoring four runs in three hits and an error in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Matt Barger led off the game with a double, and after a steal, a walk, and another steal, senior Brennan Laird hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring the game's first run. Freshmen Danny Dopp and Isaiah Shake both hit RBI-doubles in the frame.
Sophomore Walter Talcott, who started his first game of the season on Saturday, struckout the side in the top of the second and allowed just one base runner in the third.
Earlham struck for two more runs in the third on a home run from senior Cody Krumlauf and an RBI-groundout from sophomore Addison Robertson.
Wilmington would not have a runner reach third base in the final six innings and only had two runners reach second base.
Talcott tallied eight strikeouts, but had to leave the game after 4.2 innings pitched. Freshman Jordan Christian finished the game, allowing just two hits and striking out five en route to his first collegiate victory.
Senior Eric Elkus led Earlham offensive going 3-4 with two runs scored. Shake came a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, going 3-3 with an RBI while Dopp added three RBIs.
Earlham tallied seven extra-base hits and eight stolen bases as a team in the win.
In game two, Earlham scored two runs on a groundout and sacrifice fly in the first, and added another run in the second when senior Brennan Laird was walked with the bases loaded.
Leading 3-0, Elkus put Earlham up 4-0 with a solo home run in the fifth, but Wilmington answered when Tyler McDaniel doubled home Jake Hyatt in the seventh.
Earlham put the game away with two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth.
Once again, Elkus finished 3-4 including six RBIs, bringing his daily total to 6-8. Senior Nate Lynch added three hits and three runs scored.
Joshua Chua finished the day with five of Wilmington's 11 hits.
Senior Howie Smith went the distance for Earlham, striking out eight batters and allowing six hits and one earned run. Matt Oney, Wilmington's best pitched coming into the weekend, allowed four earned runs in six innings pitched.
Earlham's pitching staff, which entered the weekend with over a 10.00 ERA, allowed one earned run in 18 innings.
Earlham and Wilmington will conclude their weekend series with a single game at noon tomorrow (Sunday).