Quakers Start Conference Play Against Wittenberg

For Immediate Release:
March 29, 2008

RICHMOND, Ind. — The Earlham College baseball team bounced back after a game one defeat on Saturday to earn a split in a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader with Wittenberg University at McBride Stadium.

Wittenberg took the opener 21-3 before the Quakers won the second contest 3-2. “We showed a lot of character after the first game,” Interim Head Coach Joe Rodden said. “We have a lot of faith when junior Alex Anderson is on the mound. He gives us a good start every time. He was better than Wittenberg and we did enough offensively to help him out.”

Anderson (Logansport, IN/Logansport) went the distance in the second game giving up four hits and two runs with only one being earned, while striking out four with three walks.

With the game tied 2-2, the Quakers took the lead in the bottom of the sixth when first-year Corey Murray (Richmond, IN/Richmond) hit a sacrifice fly to score Anderson with what would be the winning run.

In the seventh, Anderson retired the first batter he faced before Wittenberg’s Jeremey Fruhwirth singled. However the threat ended quickly, when first-year catcher Kyle Stauffer (Kettering, OH/Fairmont) gunned down Fruhwirth as he attempted to steal second. “It was just a big play because Kyle made an error that allowed them to tie the game,” Rodden said. “He came up with a throw right on the money and it was huge situation.”

One out later, Anderson (3-2) had a complete game victory.

Both teams score in the first inning at the start of the second contest. Earlham’s run came on a RBI groundout by senior Eric Sturgeon (Logansport, IN/Logansport). The Quakers took the lead in the fourth when Sturgeon came home on a bunt single by first-year Kyle Ripperger (Richmond, IN/Richmond).

In the fifth, the Tigers (7-7, 1-5) tied the game when Stauffer allowed a run to score on a passed ball to set the stage for the dramatic finish.

In addition to knocking in the winning run, Murray led the Quakers (9-9, 1-1) with a pair of hits.

The opener

The first game of the day was difficult for the Quakers as Wittenberg led 2-0 after one inning. The Tigers broke the contest open after scoring three more times in the third to take a 5-1 advantage.

Sturgeon (1-1) started the game for the Quakers and took the loss after tossing four innings.

First-year Adam Painter (Ft. Wayne, IN/Snider) was involved in all three of Earlham’s runs. He had a run-scoring single in the second inning, a RBI double in the fourth and scored on a sacrifice fly in the seventh by classmate Andrew Morrical (Summitville, IN/Madison-Grant).