INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Earlham College baseball team battled Butler University to the final out on Wednesday as the Quaker fell to the Division I Bulldogs 6-4.

The Quakers were down 6-3 heading into the ninth inning before their rally came up short.
With two outs in the frame, Ethan Bailey (Greensburg, IN, Greensburg) picked up an infield single.

Thomas Rea (Indianapolis, IN, Warren Central) followed with a single and Sam Ward (Bay Village, OH, Bay, Marietta College) walked to load the bases, which put the go-ahead run at the plate.

Ryan McCray (Lexington, KY, Henry Clay) singled to cut the deficit to two runs before the Bulldogs were able to get the last out.
McCray, Ward, Bailey and Rea had two hits each for the Quakers.

Earlham had five pitchers on the day with the third, Matt Brankle (Kokomo, IN, Taylor), (1-3) taking the loss.

The contest was scoreless until the fifth inning when Butler (14-15) pushed across four runs to take the lead.

In the sixth, the Quakers got on the scoreboard when Alex Arovits (Lebanon, OH, Lebanon, Eastern Kentucky) knocked in a run on a fielder's choice.

The Bulldogs made it 5-1 in the seventh before the Quakers added a pair of runs in the eighth to make it 5-3. McCray had a run-scoring double and Ted Williams (Harper Woods, MI, Grosse Pointe North) a RBI ground out.

Butler added its insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.

The Quakers (6-20) entertain Anderson University on Friday at McBride Stadium. The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference affair begins at 6 p.m.