RICHMOND – As the rain steadily fell upon Sadler Stadium, the Earlham College baseball team mounted a ninth-inning comeback against Oberlin College on Saturday afternoon. The Quakers trailed 12-9 heading into the final frame and managed to score four runs, including a walk-off run by pinch runner
Cameron Powell.
The Quakers improved to 8-2 while the Yeomen fell to 4-4.
Maxwell Fries led off for the Quakers in the ninth inning and reached base on a walk. After a strikeout, Jordan Kuderer was hit by a pitch, and Devin Basely was walked.
With the bases loaded,
Andrew Bradley unloaded on a 2-2 pitch to send it to deep left field. The outfielder for Oberlin slipped in the wet turf, giving the Quake more time to advance runners. Bradley cleared the bases to tie the game at 12, and was credited with a double on the play.
Head Coach
Steve Sakosits brought in Powell to pinch run for Bradley on second base and the Yeomen intentionally walked
Robby Shondel to allow for a potential double play.
Next up for Earlham was
Reece Zonts who hit a line-drive single into right field. Powel quickly rounded third and broke for home plate, where he slid in to score the walk-off run uncontested.
Zonts and Bradley led Earlham in the hitting categories on the afternoon. Zonts scored three hits with two RBI on four at-bats while Bradley had two hits and three RBI.
Dillon Bandi earned the win for Earlham with a clean ninth inning.
Justin Dillhoff started on the mound and pitched over five innings with six strikeouts.
Earlham scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the third inning. The Yeomen responded in the top of the fourth with three runs, two unearned.
After an RBI single from Zonts in the bottom of the fourth, the Yeomen balked in a run and allowed a third in the inning by a throwing error from the catcher.
Oberlin scored two quick runs in the top of the sixth inning, but were held to just two by relief pitcher
Nate Hemmerich.
A four-run seventh inning gave Oberlin a 9-6 lead at the switch, but Earlham scored two runs in the bottom of the frame to keep within reach. As the rain began to intensify, the Yeomen scored three runs and allowed one from Earlham in the eighth inning.
The Quakers will host Oberlin again tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at 11 am in Sadler Stadium.
