WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Wilmington College baseball team returned to its winning ways with an 11-9 victory over Indiana University Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) at Tewksbury-Delaney Field on Wednesday afternoon.
The Crimson Pride tagged Quaker starter Trent Mendenhall with two runs on three hits in the first, but the hosts answered with two runs in the bottom of the second on an Evan Kelsey RBI-single scoring Joel O'Brien and an error. One inning later, the hosts took a 6-4 lead as four runs scored on three hits, one of which was a two-RBI single up the middle from Jesse Reliford, and two more errors.
David Ernst, who relieved Mendenhall after the first inning, cruised through the second, third and fourth, but got into some trouble in the fifth as the Chaminade Julienne alumnus allowed a single and two walks to open the frame. AJ Wolf entered in relief and allowed just one more hit, four runs in total crossed the plate, and IUPUC trailed just 6-4.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Evan Eilerman set the table for Caleb Scott, who doubled home the freshman in the sixth. Jared Lammert, the very next batter, triples to right center scoring Scott. Now up 8-4, the hosts added two more insurance runs in the seventh and one in the eighth. The Quakers would need those runs as the Crimson Pride would plate three runs in the ninth and have the tying run get into scoring position, but Luke Chappie earned a save with a strikeout to end the game.
Ernst earned his first win of the sason with four strikeouts in three innings to go along with four walks and three earned runs while Chappie tallied his third save of the year. Offensively, Wilmington pounded out 15 hits with Reliford and Kelsey both going 3-for-5. Reliford also stole two bases.
The Quakers (11-16) head to Marietta College for an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) twinbill on Saturday.
