PITCHER'S BEST FRIEND ... Wilmington College pitcher Ronnie Campbell (center) fires to shortstop Greg Krieger to start a 1-6-3 double play in the Quakers' win over Earlham. At right is second baseman Jimmy Wolverton.

Quakers rout Earlham
for fourth straight win

Campbell gets win; Krieger homers twice

[Box Score]

April 12, 2006

Ben Buehner

Ronnie Campbell pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and Greg Krieger ripped a grand slam and a solo homer as the Quakers routed Earlham, 16-2, Wednesday at Tewksbury-Delaney Field.

Campbell (Lynchburg/Lynchburg-Clay) struck out five and allowed one unearned run to raise his record to 2-0.

"After the first two innings, Ronnie settled down and turned in what was, by far, the best college outing of his career," WC head coach Tony Haley said. "I was hoping he would just give us five good innings, but he was so much in control that there was no reason to take him out."

Earlham took an early 2-0 lead before Mike Kroeger (Cincinnati/Elder) hit the first of Wilmington's five home runs on the day, a solo shot in the second. Later in the inning, Matt Morris (Hamilton) scored on a Mike Cafarella (Beavercreek) single to tie the game at 2-2.

Wilmington scored runs in the third and fourth on a Ben Butler (Beavercreek/Carroll) double and a Morris homer. Krieger (Bellefontaine) homered to left in the fifth to put Wilmington up, 5-2. The shot of the game, though, came off the bat of Ben Buehner (Germantown/Valley View), who blasted a two-out, three-run homer in the sixth that gave the Quakers an 8-2 lead and the rout was officially on.

"That was a big homer, particularly understanding there were two outs when he hit it," Haley said. "It was a three-run game, the game was still in doubt, but that broke it open."

Krieger belted a grand slam as Wilmington scored seven times in the seventh and pulled away to its fourth straight win. Wilmington is now 9-7 while Earlham drops to 7-17.

"We're playing loose right now," Haley said. "Earlier in the season, we were playing not to lose, but there's no doubt in their minds right now. They don't panic when they're down; they just keep playing. We have a really good team chemistry."

Morris collected four of Wilmington's 17 hits. Cafarella had three hits and Taylor Clark (Morrow/McCallie, Tenn.) and Krieger had two each.

The Quakers host John Carroll in a key Ohio Athletic conference doubleheader 1 p.m. Saturday.