WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania – Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) scored all 15 of its runs with two outs to defeat the Earlham College baseball team 15-6 on day two of the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional on Friday.
Earlham (30-13) will face SUNY (State University of New York) Cortland in an elimination game tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:15 p.m.
Nick Gatins opened the scoring for the Presidents in the bottom of the first when Nick Gatins singled home two runs. The Quakers, who served as the home team in the contest, battled back with an RBI-groundout from senior Brennan Laird. One batter later, senior Eric Elkus launched a solo home run over the left field wall of Ross Memorial Park to tie the game 2-2. The home run was Elkus's 26th of his career, breaking a tie with Ryan Hayes (2011-14) for the most in program history.
W&J, which came into the game as the second-highest scoring offense and boasting the third-highest batting average in the country, loaded the bases in the second before Nick Vento cleared them with a grand slam. Leading 6-2, the Presidents added another run with a solo home run in the top of the third, but another RBI-groundout from Laird got Earlham back within four runs (7-3).
After a scoreless fourth inning from both teams, junior Kendal Baker led off the bottom of the fifth with a single. Senior Nate Lynch then lifted his second career home run over the right field wall getting the Quakers within two runs.
Senior Matt Barger earned a walk in a nine-pitch at bat, and the infield single from sophomore Addison Robertson that followed put runners on first and second. Earlham, which entered the regional leading the nation in stolen bases, executed a double steal. The throw to third from W&J's Eric Helbing went into left field, and Barger crossed the plate making the score 7-6.
Unfortunately for the Quakers, W&J plated four runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to put the game out of reach.
Freshman Kyle Gorman took the loss for Earlham allowing seven earned runs on six hits in three innings pitched. Junior Matt Mathies did not allow an earned run in 2.2 innings pitched while freshman Colin Greve tallied four strikeouts in relief.
Ben Marsico earned the win for W&J, pitching four innings in relief.
Earlham had nine hits as a team including a 3-4 performance from Lynch with two RBIs while senior Cody Krumlauf also finished with three hits. Baker had two hits including a double.
Vento led the Presidents' offense going 4-5 with seven RBIs including a double and a home run.
The loss snaps the Quakers' 11-game winning streak and is only Earlham's second loss in a month. Visit goearlham.com tomorrow morning for a preview and game notes of the Quakers' contest against SUNY Cortland.