Cal Thomay

Cal Thomay stroked a two-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie and lift The College of Wooster to a split with Wabash College, as the Fighting Scots took game two 5-2 after dropping the opener 3-1 in a pair of pitcher's duels Saturday at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Deadlocked late in the second game, Wooster (13-5) loaded the bases via an Eddie Reese single with one out, a Zac Mathie hit by pitch, and after a fielder's choice, a Billy Farrow walk, the latter's first plate appearance of the season. Thomay then worked the count full before sending one through the left side that gave the Scots their first lead of the day, 3-1.

Wooster wasn't done in the top of the eighth, first using some aggressive base running as Thomay and Kenny Reckart, who had pinch run for Farrow, executed a double steal to make it a three-run advantage. Craig Day added an RBI double for a 5-1 cushion.

Jon Rothman, who came in following a quality start by Matt Felvey, finished the game, though, Wabash (10-8) did become the first team to score a run off the Scots' closer this season with a tally in the ninth. Felvey (3-1) went seven strong innings, allowing just one run in the second inning and striking out seven without a walk.

In game one, the Little Giants' JT Miller barely got the better of Wooster's Steve Hagen in a battle of aces. After four scoreless innings, Hagen's defense let him down, with two Scot errors contributing to an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth.

Wooster tied it right back up in the top of the sixth when Jarrod Mancine doubled and Bryan Miller singled, with both hits coming down the right-field line.

The decisive runs came in the bottom of the sixth. Hagen issued back-to-back walks with one out, then Trey Fankhauser and David Oliger supplied RBI singles in consecutive at bats, and the 3-1 score held up as the final.

Miller (3-0), who struck out 10 and went the distance, yielded the one run on six hits, while Hagen countered with two earned runs and five hits allowed in seven innings.

Offensively on the day, Mancine paced the Scots with three hits (3-for-9), and Wabash's No. 8 hitter, Tanner Watson, had four (4-for-5), plus two walks.

The two teams will complete their three-game series on Sunday, starting at noon in Chillicothe, Ohio.