WILMINGTON — The Wilmington College baseball team erased a three-run deficit Wednesday and defeated Franklin College 7-4 in the Quakers’ home-opener at Tewksbury-Delaney Field.
Kaleb Stines earned the pitching win, throwing 6.2 innings of scoreless baseball while scattering just two hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Tyler Shaneyfelt finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, three runs scored and three stolen bases. Dominic Depa (2-for-3) and Evan Eilerman (3-for-4) also had multi-hit games for WC.
Wilmington (3-6) will take a three-game winning streak to the three-game series with rival Earlham College this weekend.
Shaneyfelt got things started in the bottom of the first inning as a lead-off walk would go around to score. Shaneyfelt, the program’s leader in career steals, stole second and scored on an RBI-groundout from Jared Lammert.
The Grizzlies chased chased WC starter David Ernst after just four outs by scoring four runs. Stines entered and then kept the Grizzly offense at bay.
Evan Kelsey got things started in the bottom of the fourth singled home two runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. A scoreless fifth inning from both teams followed, but the Quakers kept at it in the sixth. Eilerman doubled to right center with one out, and advanced to third on a fielding error. Franklin elected to play its infield in and a single up the middle from Shaneyfelt tied the game. Shaneyfelt stole a base, and after advancing to third on a wild pitch, the junior scored on a failed pickoff attempt.
Now up 5-4 and one inning later, Kyle Jennings launched the team’s first home run of the season over the left field fence, giving the Quakers two insurance runs. They wouldn’t need them, however, as Jesse Reliford shut the door in the ninth for his third straight save.
This story was submitted by the Wilmington College Athletic Communications Department.
