RICHMOND – The Earlham College baseball team remained perfect in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action with a sweep of Defiance College on Wednesday evening with a combined score of 52-10.
The Quakers improved to 15-5 (4-0 HCAC) while the Yellow Jackets fell to 6-12 (1-3 HCAC).
Andrew Bradley was hitting for the moon with five home runs and 12 RBI on the evening. The junior from Stow, Ohio was 8-10 in the batter's box and posted a slugging percentage of 2.5.
Christian Lancianese recorded a .833 batting average on six at-bats with five RBI.
Dillon Fischer and
Nate Hemmerich earned winning decisions after tossing six and five innings respectively.
GAME ONE: EARLHAM 40 DEFIANCE 7
Fischer threw the opening six innings of game one, allowing six hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts.
Bradley hit four home runs in the first round of the doubleheader. Through the first three innings, he was 4-4 with four homers and 10 RBI. Shortstop
Phoenix Guzzi scored four hits and two RBI while Lancianese hit three RBI singles.
Maxwell Fries recorded five RBI from three hits and a double.
The win is the largest in program history and the first time the Quakers have scored 30+ points in a game since defeating Transylvania 32-6 in 2011. The 40 runs ranks fifth all time in the NCAA.
The Quakers scored 11 runs in the first inning, kickstarted by Lancianese reaching home on a throwing error from the catcher after he stole third base. After an RBI single from Fries, Bradley sent a two-run shot over the left-center fence.
Zach Swearingen hit an RBI single to right field to bring
Devin Basley home, and send the Quakers back to the top of the lineup with two outs.
Christian Lancianese and Fries combined for four RBI on their next at-bats before Bradley cleared the Maroon Monster in left field for a two-RBI shot.
The Quakers added 10 more runs in the third inning while holding Defiance to none. The score was so high that it caused issues with the video stream scoreboard.
Fischer kept Defiance off the board until the top of the fifth inning when the Yellow Jackets scored off of a wild pitch. The Quaker pitcher escaped the inning with two runners stranded on base and allowed two more runs in the sixth.
GAME TWO: EARLHAM 12 DEFIANCE 3
Bradley recorded four hits in game two with one homer and two RBI.
Christian Lancianese had two hits and two RBI, the sophomore also stole three bases.
David Lally began the contest on the mound and tossed three innings with four hits and two earned runs before Hemmerich took over. Hemmerich completed five innings and allowed just three hits and no runs while tallying seven strikeouts.
Defiance scored the first run of the contest in the top of the first after a wild pitch from Lally advanced two baserunners.
The Quakers responded in the bottom of the inning with three runs.
Christian Lancianese scored from a passed ball before
Nathan Lancianese reached home on a throwing error from the catcher.
Cameron McCabe reached base on an error from the first baseman, which allowed
Easton Embry to come home for the final Quaker run of the inning.
The Yellow Jackets fielded two more runs in the top of the third inning before being shut out the remainder of the contest.
With the score tied at three in the bottom of the third inning, Bradley hit his final home run of the evening to center field for the go-ahead run.
The Quakers will continue their HCAC slate at Hanover College on Sunday, the doubleheader is set to begin at noon.
