Jamie Lackner

John McLain

The College of Wooster was three outs from sweeping Wabash College, but the Little Giants rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth inning to take game two, 11-10, after the Fighting Scots had struck for seven extra-base hits during a 12-9 opening victory of the teams' doubleheader, played Saturday at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio, the same site of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament in May.

After Wabash (11-14) plated the first five runs of the day, all coming in the fourth inning, Wooster (19-4) responded with a four-run fifth and five-run sixth to gain control of the initial game. The Scots' first four batters of the fifth inning all reached safely, highlighted by a John McLain double and a Jacob Solomon triple that brought in two. Solomon came home via a wild pitch to make it a 5-4 game.

In the sixth, Jamie Lackner led off with a two-bagger, followed by a McLain single, and Solomon delivered his second key hit in as many innings with a two-run double as that gave Wooster its first lead. Later in the frame, Tyler Schuch came through with a two-out double to center, driving in two for a 9-5 advantage.

The Scots grabbed their first insurance run in the seventh on Lackner's 10th homer of the season, and first of two on the day, however, the Little Giants battled back to within 10-7 during the top of the eighth.

Wooster gained some breathing room in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with no outs, then McLain taking a hit by pitch for one tally and Joey Gilmore knocking in another via a fielder's choice play.

Wabash trimmed the five-run deficit to three and got the tying run to the plate during the ninth before the Scots were able to close out the win.

Michael Houdek earned the victory (4-0), going a career-high seven innings. After a tough fourth inning, he wound up getting the final eight batters he faced out and struck out five overall.

Wooster opened up a 3-0 lead through two innings of the nightcap, featuring Lackner's leadoff solo shot in the second.

The teams combined for 10 runs during the fifth, first the Little Giants with six to go ahead 7-3 and then the Scots answering with four. Three came in on a McLain home run and Ryan Ostendorf tied it when he singled in Chris Fafalios, who had doubled.

The offenses added another five runs in the sixth, as Wabash pulled back ahead 9-7 only to see Wooster respond with three, thanks in part to McLain's second homer in as many innings. This time, the senior shortstop's drive accounted for two, following a Lackner RBI base knock.

It remained 10-9 Scots heading into the top of the ninth. The Little Giants' designated hitter, Andrew Rodgers, opened the frame with a tying home run, and after it appeared, Wooster would escape further damage, Cole Harlacher and Lucas Stippler each doubled for the decisive tally.

Offensively on the day, McLain had a five-hit, six-RBI day (5-for-8) and Lackner went 4-for-7 with three RBI, while Harlacher paced Wabash's bats with five hits (5-for-9).

The two teams will play a rubber match on Sunday, with first pitch set for noon.