GRANVILLE, Ohio --- Senior Camden Scheidt delivered a two-run single in the third inning to give Wabash a 3-1 lead at third-ranked Denison on Tuesday afternoon. That was all freshman starting pitcher Jarrod Kirsch needed as he limited the Big Red to two runs over seven innings. Grant Stratton threw a shutout over the final two innings in a 4-2 win for the Little Giants and a mid-week North Coast Athletic Conference road split. Wabash lost the opening game 6-1.
Kirsch scattered six hits with two walks while striking out six in his first conference start for Wabash (13-7, 3-1 NCAC) to earn his second win of the season. The local product from North Montgomery High School gave up a run in the second inning to Denison (17-4, 3-1 NCAC) to even the score at 1-1 before Scheidt delivered a two-run single down the left field line that scored Caleb Ellspermann and Michael Galanos.
Denison scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a spectacular defensive play by Scheidt. The Big Red had runners on the corners with one out. Scheidt snared a hard-hit ground ball at first, tagged the base, and got the runner on first in a rundown that ended the inning with the runner on third, scoring to cut the Little Giants' lead to 3-2.
Scheidt became the Wabash all-time leader in runs scored when he crossed the plate in first inning on an errant throw by the Big Red to give the LIttle Giants a 1-0 lead. Scheidt broke the old mark of 160 runs scored held by his former teammate, AJ Reid (2021-2024).
Wabash added a run in the top of the ninth inning on a bases-loaded ground ball by Ellspermann. Pinch-runner Ryan Keating beat the throw to the plate to give the Little Giants an insurance run with three outs to go.
Stratton got a ground out to start the bottom of the ninth before Denison rallied with a single. A flyout produced the second out before Stratton recorded the final out of the game with his second strikeout to give Wabash the victory while earning his second career save.
GAME TWO NOTES
» Kirsch struck out six Big Red hitters.
» Wabash's highest-scoring inning was the third when it pushed two runs across.
» Wabash took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» Kirsch put together seven innings of two-run ball for the Little Giants.
» Wabash pitchers limited Denison to just 2-for-11 (.182) with runners in scoring position.
» Wabash pitchers faced 35 Denison hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out eight.
» The Little Giants drew four walks from Denison pitching.
» Scheidt led the Little Giants at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two RBI.
» The victory is the first by Wabash over Denison since an 8-2 win in Granville in 2021.
GAME ONE – Denison 6, Wabash 1
Scheidt went 1-for-3 for the Little Giants in a 6-1 loss to Denison.
Aidan McConnell (3-2) started and took the loss on the mound for the Little Giants.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Little Giants were trailing 2-0 in the second inning when they first put runs on the board. Will McKinzie came across to score the lone run of the inning for Wabash and get them on the board on a sacrifice fly by DJ Mendez. The Little Giants could not get any closer, as Denison added four runs to its tally in the seventh inning on the way to a 6-1 final.
GAME NOTES
» Wabash's highest-scoring inning was the second when it pushed one run across.
» Wabash pitchers faced 37 Denison hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out seven.
» Scheidt led the Little Giants at the plate, going 1-for-3.