March 4, 2008
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Bluffton University baseball team worked around an hour rain delay in the first game on Monday, March 3, as the Beavers completed a sweep of Anna Maria, 5-0 and 18-9. Senior Tim Kay (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) held Anna Maria to three hits in the first game and the Bluffton bats exploded for 25 hits and 18 runs in the nightcap.
Bluffton 5, Anna Maria 0
For the second straight day, sophomore Cody McPherson (Millbury/Lake) belted a solo home run to lead off the second inning. Following three straight hit batters, A.J. Ramthun (Springfield/Southeastern) plated Curtis Schroeder (Shelby/Shelby) and Jimmy McMonagle (Ida, Mich./Ida) with a single to left field for a 3-0 Bluffton lead.
The Beavers tacked on two more runs an inning later when Corey Conn (London/London) doubled home Mike Ramthun (Springfield/Southeastern) and McPherson.
Tim Kay did the rest. He held Anna Marie hitless for four straight innings after giving up one hit each in innings one and two. A Touhey lead-off single was erased in the bottom of the seventh when Hauschel hit a comebacker to Kay who started the 1-6-3 double play before he ended the game with the last of his 10 strikeouts. Kay limited Anna Maria to only three hits with no walks and 10 K's in the 5-0 shutout.
McPherson was 2-of-3 with two runs scored while A.J. Ramthun and Corey Conn both finished with two runs batted in.
Bluffton 18, Anna Maria 9
The Beavers scored in every inning on their way to a convincing 18-9 victory over Anna Maria in game two. Tony Moore (Elida/Elida) led off the game with single to center field. He moved to third on Chris Bauman's (Milford/Milford) bunt and scored the first run following a Greg Sigg (Maumee/Maumee) infield single. Conn plated Bauman with another infield single before a bases loaded walk to Steve Roberts (West Salem/Mapleton) made the score 3-0 after one frame.
Bluffton put together four straight singles to open the second inning. Ryan Baightel (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta), Moore, Bauman and Kay sprayed the ball around the park before a pair of wild pitches and an RBI single by Roberts made the score 7-0 after two innings.
The top of the lineup came through for the Beavers again in the top of the third. Four consecutive base knocks and six hits in the inning helped Bluffton build an 11-0 lead over Anna Maria.
Anna Maria plated two runs in the bottom of the third, but Bluffton bounced back for two more runs in the fourth inning. Senior Anthony Bryant (Reynoldsburg/Reynoldsburg) took over for Baightel in the fourth inning and promptly singled to left center. He later scored on a Bauman groundout. Allen Slabaugh (Dalton/Dalton) crossed the dish on another ground ball as the Beavers built a 13-2 lead.
Anna Maria stormed back for five runs on only two hits in the bottom of the fourth. The home team on the scoreboard used a pair of walks, a hit batter, an error and a wild pitch to creep back into the game, 13-7.
Bluffton responded with five runs over the final three innings to close out the 18-9 victory over Anna Maria.
Tony Moore and Anthony Bryant both went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs each. Slabaugh, Bauman, Kay, A.J. Ramthun, Conn, Roberts and McMonagle all finished the second game with two hits apiece. Bauman scored three times and knocked in two runs. Roberts also plated two runs in the victory.
Cody McPherson gave up two runs on one hit with two strikeouts. Freshman Nathan Blanton (Cincinnati/LaSalle) worked to six batters in the fourth and fifth innings, allowing only one hit while inducing three groundouts to slam the door for the Beavers after Anna Maria erupted for five runs.
Bluffton returns to action on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, when it takes on Thiel College at 9 a.m.
-BEAVERS-