April 9, 2007
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team received solid pitching performances in both games with Anderson on Monday, April 9, 2007, but the Ravens' starters worked around trouble all afternoon, leaving 20 runners on base, in sweeping the Beavers in two low-scoring games, 4-2 and 6-3. The Ravens moved to 9-12 overall and 4-5 in the Heartland Conference, while Bluffton fell to 1-4 overall and 1-4 in the HCAC.
GAME ONE - ANDERSON 4, BLUFFTON 2
Singles by ZACH JONES, ZACH SOUNHEIN, and PETE WHITING followed by a Bluffton error led to three Anderson runs in the top of the third inning.
Bluffton's RYAN BAIGHTEL (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) poked a one-out single through the left side in the home half of the third. He moved to third on TONY MOORE'S (Elida/Elida) single to center and was picked up when COREY CONN (London/London) grounded out to second base.
Back-to-back two-out triples by Whiting and ERIC SMITH pushed the Ravens' advantage to 4-1 midway through the fifth inning.
The Beavers put together a furious rally in the bottom of the seventh to make it a game. CODY MCPHERSON (Northwood/Lake) bunted for a base hit to open the frame. Following a wild pitch, McPherson motored home when pinch hitter AUSTIN GRAY (Lewisburg/Tri-County North) singled up the middle. A GREG SIGG (Maumee/Maumee) single and walk to Moore loaded the bases for a dramatic finish. Corey Conn's bid for a walk-off grand slam was denied by the right fielder who hauled in his deep fly ball at the wall, preserving Anderson's 4-2 win over the Beavers.
MATT PERKINS (Convoy/Crestview) went the distance for the Beavers, giving up four runs on six hits with only two walks. Moore and Baightel both finished the first contest with two hits.
GAME TWO - ANDERSON 6, BLUFFTON 3
The Beavers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning following a Conn double and CURTIS SCHROEDER (Shelby/Shelby) RBI single, however, Anderson averted serious damage when Tony Moore's game opening shot up the middle went off the pitcher's bare hand and ended up in the third baseman's glove for a not-so-routine groundout.
Bluffton threatened to blow the game open in the bottom of the second when it loaded the bases for the top of the lineup with no outs. The Beavers plated only one run as ERIC SMITHsandwiched three strikeouts around an infield error to keep the damage to a minimum.
In the top of the third, CHRIS JARRET drove a one-out triple down the right field line and he crossed the plate on Smith's sacrifice fly to left.
STEPHEN JONES opened the fourth with a three-bagger over Moore's head and he tied the game on KEVIN PENCE'S single to right center.
A one-out walk to Greg Sigg and a McPherson single to center left runners on the corners for BRETT HUNT (Bucyrus/Bucyrus) who put the Beavers back on top with his sacrifice fly to center field.
The Ravens took advantage of a hit batter, a great bunt down the first base line and a two-RBI double to center by Smith to take a 4-3 lead over the Beavers in the top of the seventh.
Anderson took the air out of Bluffton's sails when the throw on a potential inning-ending double play sailed past first, allowing the Ravens to tack on two more runs in the top of the ninth for a 6-3 win in the nightcap.
Conn was the only Beaver with two hits in the second contest. TIM KAY (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits with five strikeouts in six innings of work before a tough play at first forced him off of the mound.
The Beavers return to action on Tuesday, April 10, when they host Heidelberg College at 4 p.m.
-BEAVERS-