SCORES: Earlham 15, Franklin 0
LOCATION: Lexington, Kentucky – Kentucky Proud Park
RECORDS: Earlham 24-18 / Franklin 25-13

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Earlham College Baseball piled on 11 runs in the top of the third inning on its way to a 15-0 win over Franklin College, in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament championship round on Thursday at Kentucky Proud Park.

The Quakers will now play the winner of Thursday evening's Transylvania – Bluffton game on Friday, May 21, at 2:00 p.m.

Earlham exploded for 11 runs on six hits, five walks, a hit-by-pitch, and a Franklin error in the third inning.

Isaiah Shake opened the frame by getting aboard on an HBP, and went to third on a pair of wild pitches. Easton Embry walked and promptly stole second, and both runners scored on Marc Gendreau's base hit down the third base line. Cameron McCabe doubled into right center to push Gendreau across, giving the Quakers a 3-0 lead. Danny Dopp was intentionally walked and two batters later Brian Pincura drew a walk to load the bases. An infield single by Maxwell Fries plated the fourth Earlham run of the inning, and chased Franklin starter Krae Sparks from the game in favor of reliever Mitch Merica.

Merica issued a bases loaded walk to Cameron Wissel, extending Earlham's lead to 5-0. Isaiah Shake laced a double into left center field to score all three runners, giving the Quakers an 8-0 advantage.

RBI singles from Gendreau and Dopp added two runs to the Earlham tally, and an error by the Franklin catcher on a walk allowed a run to score to cap the scoring for the inning.

Earlham tacked on two more runs in the sixth and another pair of runs in the ninth, leading to the 15-0 final score.

Starter Joey Gerbus went eight innings on the mound for the Quakers, scattering six hits and charting a career-high 12 strikeouts and issuing just two walks. Gerbus improved to 8-1 on the season with the win. Jacob Renner came on in the ninth and retired the Grizzlies in order to clinch the win.

Gendreau went 3-for-5 with two runs and three runs batted in to lead the Quakers at the plate, while Embry and Pincura each had two hits. Shake finished the day 1-for-5, but crossed for two runs and had three RBI.

Quinton Wellington was 4-for-4 at the plate for the Grizzlies, with the rest of team combining for a mere two hits.