April 28, 2007
PAINESVILLE, Ohio - Despite falling behind 6-0 in the opener, the Bluffton University baseball team scored 11 unanswered runs to take game one before Lake Erie used 12 hits in the second game to split the series with the Beavers. The Beavers improved to 4-15, while Lake Erie upped its mark to 13-21 on Saturday, April 28, 2007.
GAME 1 - BLUFFTON 11, LAKE ERIE 6
Lake Erie came out smoking in the home half of the first, scoring all six of its runs in the opening frame. Following a one-out solo homer to center by WALCZEK, PFISTER was the first of three consecutive Storm players to reach with two-baggers. WHITE and SPRINGER rapped singles as Lake Erie sent nine hitters to the plate in taking the early 6-0 lead.
With one out in the top of the third, TONY MOORE (Lima/Elida) beat out a bunt for a hit. JIMMY MCMONAGLE (Ida, Mich./Ida)reached on catchers' interference, putting two runners on for HCAC Hitter of the Week TIM KAY (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) who made the Storm pay with his three-run shot to left.
JAMES HAUSMAN (Milford/Milford) found his rhythm and limited Lake Erie to four hits over the next five innings as the Beavers continued to push runs across the plate.
Bluffton's COREY CONN (London/London) scored a run in the fourth when RYAN BAIGHTEL(Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) doubled to right center.
Kay singled to open the fifth and CURTIS SCHROEDER (Shelby/Shelby) tied the game at six with his two-run dinger over the left field wall.
Baightel got into the long-ball action in the top of the sixth when he delivered a two-run shot to right, plating CHRIS WURM (Bucyrus/Bucyrus) who had singled through the left side.
Bluffton took a page out of its HCAC opponents' playbooks when it used consecutive bunts to load the bases for STEVE ROBERTS (West Salem/Mapleton) who cleared them with his three-run double to left center, making the final score 11-6 in favor of the visitors.
Kay continued to blister the ball, going 2-of-3 with 3 RBI and two runs scored. Schroeder and Baightel both finished with two hits while Roberts knocked in three runs. Conn and Schroeder scored two runs each in the victory.
James Hausman picked up his first win, going six strong innings with three strikeouts before TYLER HILL (London/London) closed the door in the seventh.
GAME 2 - LAKE ERIE 9, BLUFFTON 1
The Storm again found the early innings to its liking, scoring six runs in the first two frames. Solo homers by CRAIL and PFISTERER in the first put Lake Erie up 2-0 after one inning. Four unearned runs in the second were all the Storm needed as Bluffton managed only one score in the contest.
Roberts provided the Beavers with their only offense in game two, a solo home run to left field in the top of the fifth inning.
REED and SHAPOSKA laced hits to open the bottom of the fifth and they both came around to score. The Storm tacked on one more run in the sixth as Lake Erie connected for three singles in the inning.
Jimmy McMonagle was the lone Beaver with multiple hits in the game two loss,
CODY MCPHERSON (Northwood/Lake) took the loss, giving up eight runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings of work on the hill.
The Beavers return to action on Sunday, April 29, when they travel to face local rival Defiance College. The HCAC contest is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-