By Tim Stried
April 23, 2002

Winning all three games from Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Transylvania University last weekend in Lexington, Ky., the Bluffton College baseball team improved their league record to 7-8, marking their highest-ever win total in the HCAC since BC joined the league in 1999.

Bluffton is now just one game back of the fourth spot in the HCAC rankings. The top four teams at the end of the regular season enter the HCAC tournament.

BC, which is now 10-19 overall, won six HCAC games in both the 2000 and 2001 seasons, which stood as their highest league win total until Sunday.

Six HCAC games remain on BC's schedule, beginning with a three-game series against Hanover College this weekend at Sears Field. The two teams will meet Friday at 3:30 p.m. in a nine-inning game, followed by a double-header Saturday at 1 p.m. The Beavers will host Defiance May 3 in their final home contest of the season.

In the first game at Transylvania, Bluffton scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to come from behind for a 10-7 victory over the Pioneers. Sophomore Jim Dwenger doubled, homered and drove in three runs in the game, while sophomore Kyle Alberson collected three hits including a double. Sophomore Bob Heitkamp picked up the win as he struck out three hitters in six innings, while junior Wes Hall worked a perfect seventh inning to preserve the win.

Bluffton didn't need a rallying effort in the second and third games, however, as the Beavers took wins by the final scores of 7-2 and 14-3. Hall and sophomore Josh Underwood picked up victories on the mound, while offensive leaders included Alberson, Dwenger, Heitkamp, Hall and seniors Brad Buckingham, Dustin Kreis, Todd Pickthorn and Ben Schwab.

Special to: The Bluffton News, The Witmarsum