By Bill Hanefeld Jr., sports information director
Molly Burnell, sports information assistant
April 15, 2006
ANDERSON, Ind. - The Bluffton University baseball team (13-13, 6-5 HCAC) made the trip to Anderson (14-13, 7-4 HCAC) to challenge the second place Ravens in the first two games of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference series on Friday, April 14, 2006. The Beavers continued their torrid hitting as they upped their season best winning streak to five in the first game by a score of 8-6. In yet another display of hot hitting, the Ravens snapped the Beavers winning streak 13-3, allowing them to take a one game lead over Bluffton in the Heartland Conference with the rubber match slated for noon on Saturday at Bluffton. With the game one victory, the Beavers have equaled their conference wins from 2005 when they finished the HCAC portion of the season with a 6-15 mark. Although they took a four run lead in the second inning, the Beavers could not hold on as the Ravens scored three in the sixth to knock off Bluffton 7-6 in game three.
GAME 1 - BLUFFTON 8, ANDERSON 6
Bluffton jumped on top in the first inning thanks to a one out infield error with RIORDAN MCCLAIN (Upper Sandusky/Upper Sandusky) at the plate. TIM KAY (Alpharetta Ga./Blessed Trinity) followed with a single before freshman CURTIS SCHROEDER(Shelby/Shelby) grounded out moving both McClain and Kay into scoring position. GREG SIGG(Maumee/Maumee) picked both runners up with an RBI single giving the Beavers a 2-0 lead.
The Ravens put a run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second when a DECKER sacrifice fly plated JONES who had reached on an error and stole second before moving to third on a WEISS single.
Kay drew a leadoff walk to open the third inning. Schroeder and Sigg ripped consecutive singles to load the bases for COREY CONN (London/London) who hit a sacrifice fly to center field. RYAN BAIGHTEL (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) knocked in Schroeder before an inning ending double play left the Beavers on top 4-1.
A leadoff walk to left fielder TONY GERIG (West Unity/Hilltop) led to three more runs for Bluffton in the fourth inning. Moore singled before Kay reached on a fielder's choice in which an infield error loaded the bases for Schroeder. With the bases full, Schroeder drilled a double which plated three runs.
Anderson answered with three runs of it own in the bottom half of the fourth. Three consecutive hits to open the frame, a sacrifice bunt and a balk allowed Anderson to close the gap to three runs, 7-4, after four innings.
The Ravens plated two more runs an inning later to cut the Bluffton advantage to one run.
With Baightel on second in the top of the seventh, Coach Grandey called on red hot pinch hitter CHRIS BAUMAN (Milford/Milford). Bauman delivered once again for the Beavers, as his run scoring single provided Bluffton with an insurance run in the last inning. Kay shut the Ravens down in their final at bat to help the Beavers secure their fifth straight victory 8-6.
Schroeder went 2-of-4 at the dish with three RBI's and one run scored. Moore, who went 7-for-11 against ONU on Wednesday, continued his torrid hitting, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Sigg and Baightel both collected two hits for the victors while Kay crossed the plate three times.
Kay (3-3) went all seven innings for Bluffton in picking up the victory. He gave up six runs, four earned, and issued only one free pass.
GAME 2 - ANDERSON 13, BLUFFTON 3
The bats were cool to start game two until the bottom of the third inning when Anderson exploded for five runs on five hits and one error. A Weiss double, a walk to LANTZ and a single by WHITING loaded the bases for SOUNHEIN with no outs. Sounhein moved everyone up a base with his single before SMITH plated two runs with another single. An error and a BUTTSsingle pushed two more runs across the plate. Bluffton ended the rally when it turned a double play to get out of the inning.
A couple errors and six Anderson hits in the fifth inning helped the Ravens take a 10-0 lead.
Anderson tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to open a 13-run advantage over the Beavers heading into the final frame. With one out, Sounhein and Smith hit consecutive singles. WOOLSEY walked to load the bases and Butts followed with a single that scored both Sounhein and Smith. JONES launched a sacrifice fly to center field that plated Woolsey.
Following two strikeouts to start the top of the seventh inning, Bluffton attempted to revive heroics which would have evoked memories of what it did against Ohio Northern on Wednesday afternoon. TYLER WILLIAMS (Lima/Lima Senior) singled to start the rally. He moved to third when Moore reached on an error by the second baseman. A McClain single picked up Williams and moved Moore to second. Tim Kay followed with an RBI single that left runners on the corners for Schroeder who knocked in McClain with a single of his own. A walk to JIMMY MCMONAGLE loaded the bases before the Ravens recorded the final out to take the game by a final score of 13-3 and set up a Saturday showdown to determine the series winner.
Moore again went 2-of-4 at the plate with a run scored. Kay and Schroeder both finished the game with two hits while McClain went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
MATT PERKINS (Convoy/Crestview) took the loss for Bluffton as he gave up seven runs on eight hits in four innings of work. He struck out four and walked one while having his record fall to 1-3 on the season.
GAME 3 - ANDERSON 7, BLUFFTON 6
Sophomore Greg Sigg started Bluffton off in the bottom of the second with a single to right field. Two straight passed balls moved Sigg to third base before freshman TYLER WILLIAMS(Lima/Lima Senior) singled to right field. Williams scored both Sigg and Chris Bauman, who was walked earlier in the inning, giving Bluffton a 2-0 advantage. Sophomore Tony Moore smacked a double to right center scoring Williams and giving the Beavers a 3-0 lead. Senior Riordan McClain beat out a bunt which moved Moore to second. Tim Kay singled up the middle to plate Moore and move McClain to second. A walk by Curtis Schroeder filled the bags with Beavers as Sigg returned to the plate. Sigg was unable to capitalize as his popout to the shortstop ended the inning with the Beavers up 4-0.
Anderson picked up Bluffton's momentum as Whiting reached on a Beaver error to put one Raven on base. Sounhein singled down the third base line and moved Whiting to third to put runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly to center field by Eric Smith scored Whiting and put Anderson on the board. Aaron Woolsey laced a single to right field before a passed ball left Woolsey and Sounhein in scoring position. Another Anderson flyout by Butts scored Sounhein, cutting the Bluffton lead to two runs, 4-2.
The score remained 4-2 until the top of the fifth inning when Sounhein ripped a single and then stole second base. Ground outs by ERIC SMITH and Woolsey scored Sounhein and pushed the score to 4-3. Bluffton scored a run of their own in the fifth as Bauman was hit by a pitch. He promptly stole second and advanced to third on a Ryan Baightel flyout. A fielding error by the second basemen allowed Baumen to score and gave the Beavers a two run cushion, 5-3.
A DECKER triple in the top of inning number six scored Lantz and pushed the Ravens within one run of Bluffton. In the bottom of the sixth, Schroeder, Sigg and Bauman filled the bags with Beavers but they were all stranded as Bluffton left the bases loaded for the third time in the game and second time in as many innings.
An uneventful seventh inning made way for the eighth inning. A Butts double to start the inning off for Anderson, followed by a Stephen Jones double, tied the game at five. Lantz ripped a single up the middle to score Jones as the Ravens took their first lead of the game. Decker followed with a single to left field and Lantz moved to second before a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. A Sounhein single plated Lantz and gave Anderson a two run advantage, 7-5.
Sigg doubled to open the bottom of the eighth inning before a Bauman ground out moved Sigg to third. Baightel picked up Sigg from third with his sacrifice fly to left field and made it a one run ball game.
McClain drew a one out walk in the ninth and moved to second on Kay's infield groundout, but he was left stranded when Schroeder grounded out to the third baseman.
Pitching eight innings and taking the loss for Bluffton was senior RANDY MILLER(Willard/Willard). Miller gave up seven runs on 14 hits and struck out two Ravens. McClain, Sigg and Williams led the offense for Bluffton as they all went 3-for-5 at the plate. Bluffton had no trouble getting runners on, but the Beavers left 16 stranded as they fell to the Ravens by a final score of 7-6.
The Beavers return to action on Tuesday, April 18, when they travel to Earlham College for a doubleheader. The contest is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
-BEAVERS-