Box Score RICHMOND, Ind. — A seventh-inning single was the difference for the Earlham College baseball team on Tuesday night as the Quakers beat the College of Mount St. Joseph 6-5.

Nate Chandler (Austin, IN, Austin ) broke a 5-5 deadlock with the game-winning hit in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference affair on John Cate Field at McBride Stadium.

"Nate is a guy who will do anything he can to help the program," Earlham Head Coach Steve Sakosits said. "He's been moved around a lot this year in different defensive positions. It's good for him to see some success. There are a lot of people rooting for him."

After Chandler's hit, Colton Miller (Auburn, IN, Dekalb) and Matt Brankle (Kokomo, IN, Taylor) closed out the contest on the mound for the Quakers (11-10, 1-6).

"We needed to get this win," Sakosits said. "It was big for us to get our first conference win and hopefully, it will start snowballing from here."

Miller (1-2) got the final out of the top of the seventh and tossed a scoreless eighth inning. Miller finished with a walk and three strikeouts as he picked up the win.

Brankle earned his first save with a scoreless ninth. With one out, he walked a pair of batters, but then finished the frame with back-to-back strikeouts.

Falling Behind and Coming Back

The Lions (9-11, 2-5) took an early lead as they scored an unearned run in the first inning off Earlham starter T. J. Plummer (Aurora, IN, South Dearborn).

The Quakers were able to respond quickly in the bottom of the first as Tyler Schroeder (Richmond, IN, Richmond) led off the inning with a double. One out later, Ted Williams (Harper Woods, MI, Grosse Pointe North) knocked in Schroeder with a double to tie the game at 1-1.

With run in the top of the fourth, Mount St. Joseph took a 2-1 lead, but the lead didn't last long as the Quakers scored three times on one swing in the bottom fourth.

Schroeder's double with the bases loaded put the Quakers on top 4-2.

The Lions added a run in the fifth and grabbed a 5-4 advantage with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, Sam Ward (Bay Village, OH, Bay) led off with a walk and then stole second. Williams tripled to tie the game at 5-5 to set the stage for Chandler.

Schroeder, Williams and Chandler led the Quakers with two hits each.

Plummer went five innings and gave up three runs on a hit with two strikeouts. Justin Broach (Centerville, OH, Centerville) worked the sixth and got two outs in the seventh before giving way to Miller. Broach gave up two runs on two hits with two strikeouts.

Earlham is back in action at home on Thursday with a 9-inning HCAC contest against Manchester College at 6 p.m.

Box Score