April 14, 2007
BLUFFTON, Ohio - Junior TIM KAY (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) threw a dominating four-hitter against Rose-Hulman on Saturday, April 14, 2007, but the Beavers could not overcome five errors and a lack of hitting with runners on as Rose-Hulman completed the three-game sweep at Bluffton with a 2-1 victory. The Beavers fell to 1-8, 1-7 in the HCAC, while Rose improved to 17-10 with a 10-4 mark in the Heartland Conference.
TONY MOORE (Elida/Elida) opened the bottom of the first with base hit up the middle and moved into scoring position on RYAN BAIGHTEL'S (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) well-executed sacrifice bunt. Kay, who bolstered his cause with a 3-of-4 afternoon at the dish, promptly singled through the right side, plating Moore in what turned out to be Bluffton's only run of the game.
The Beavers saw another prime scoring opportunity in the third inning go by the wayside when Moore was thrown out trying to steal second and Baightel was picked off going to third after reaching on an infield error. Kay's single to left went for naught as the bases were empty and a fielder's choice by CURTIS SCHROEDER (Shelby/Shelby) ended the threat.
In the bottom of the fourth with two runners in scoring position and only one out, DEREK EITELworked out of the jam, inducing a groundout to third and popup to second base.
Kay, who faced only three batters aver the minimum through the first six innings, ran into trouble in the top of the seventh. MATT SALISBURY reached on a Bluffton error to open the frame. He moved up a base on TIM BRAUN'S groundout to second. KELLEN HURST poked a single just under the outstretched glove of Baightel, allowing Salisbury to tie the game at one. Another Beaver error on a slapped bunt followed by a hit batter loaded the bases for JIMMY MURRAY who made Bluffton pay with his sacrifice fly to left field.
Over the final three innings of the game, Bluffton managed only one hit, a CHRIS WURM(Bucyrus/Bucyrus) single to right in the bottom of the ninth as Eitel went the distance to improve his record to 3-2 with the 2-1 complete game win over the Beavers.
Kay, who was 3-of-4 at the plate with Bluffton's lone RBI, limited the Engineers to four hits and two runs, both unearned, in a superb nine-inning performance on the mound. He ended the game with four strikeouts and no walks, but fell to 0-3 on the season.
Although the Beavers roughed up Eitel for 11 hits, Rose-Hulman used a fine defensive effort to hold Bluffton to one run.
Wurm and Moore both collected two hits on the afternoon.
The Beavers return to action on Tuesday, April 17, 2007, when they welcome perennial HCAC-favorite Manchester to Bluffton for a pair of nine-inning contests at Sears Field. The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-