March 6, 2008
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Bluffton University baseball team improved to 4-2 with wins over Misericordia and the U.S. Merchant Marines on Wednesday, March 5, 2008. The Beavers rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Misericordia by a score of 7-3 and an eight-run second powered Bluffton to a 12-2 win in the nightcap.
Bluffton 7, Misericordia 3
Misericordia took advantage of a hit batter, two free passes and a Bluffton error to jump out to an early 3-0 lead in the second inning.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, CHRIS BAUMAN (Milford/Milford) singled up the middle. Following a CURTIS SCHROEDER (Shelby/Shelby) base knock and a RYAN BAIGHTEL (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) fielder's choice, Bauman crossed the plate on a wild pitch. After TONY MOORE (Elida/Elida) drew a base on balls, he and Baightel moved into scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt that went awry. A.J. RAMTHUN (Springfield/Southeastern) doubled home Baightel and Moore to knot the score at three.
With senior WILL GERBER (Kidron/Central Christian) continuing to mow down the Cougars, Bluffton took the lead for good in the sixth when JIMMY MCMONAGLE (Ida, Mich./Ida) picked up CODY MCPHERSON (Millbury/Lake) who led off the frame with a double to left center.
The Beavers iced the game with three more runs in the bottom of the eighth. McPherson laced his second double of the game to open the inning. COREY CONN (London/London) singled to right, putting runners at the corners for McMonagle who picked up the RBI with his sacrifice bunt. Bauman drew a one-out walk before Schroeder plated both runners with a double to the gap in right center.
A.J. Ramthun and McPherson both rapped two hits while Ramthun, McMonagle and Schroeder all plated two runs in the 7-3 victory. McPherson and Bauman scored twice against the Cougars.
Will Gerber picked up the win, giving up only three runs on three hits in seven innings of work with five strikeouts. TYLER SPRUNGER (Berne, Ind./South Adams) worked two scoreless innings for his first save of the season.
Bluffton 12, U.S. Merchant Marine 2
The Beavers got all the offense they would need in the second inning against the U.S. Merchant Marines when Bluffton took advantage of five hits and four Mariner errors to push eight runs across the plate.
MIKE RAMTHUN (Springfield/Southeastern) reached on an error to open the second inning. GREG SIGG (Maumee/Maumee) singled to left center before another error put BRETT HOWARD (Toledo/St. Francis DeSales) on and allowed Ramthun to score the first run of the game. Schroeder drove in Sigg and Howard and Baightel bunted his way on to put runners at first and second. One out later, an A.J. Ramthun single loaded the bases and with TIM KAY(Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) at the plate, another U.S.M.M. error left the bases loaded as Schroeder made it 4-0. Ramthun and Baightel both scored when the Mariners failed to field McPherson's shot to third base. Mike Ramthun capped the fireworks display with a two-run double to right center in his second trip to the dish in the second frame.
The Mariners scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth despite getting only one hit, but Bluffton answered with two scores in the bottom of the inning to make the score 10-2. Mike Ramthun plated Kay with a single to right and BRETT HUNT (Bucyrus/Bucyrus), who drew a two-out walk, crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
Bluffton tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a Hunt RBI double, making the final score 12-2 in favor of the Beavers.
Tony Moore and the Ramthun brothers all pounded out two hits in the victory. Mike Ramthun drove in three runs while Schroeder plated two. A.J. Ramthun, Kay, and Hunt scored two runs each for Bluffton.
Junior JAMES HAUSMAN (Milford/Milford) did the job on the hill for the Beavers, limiting the Mariners to two runs on five hits in 7.1 innings. He finished with six strikeouts and only three walks. Freshman AARON TUTTLE (Frankton, Ind./Frankton) and BRANDON FREYTAG(Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) combined for 1.2 innings of scoreless relief as Bluffton improved to 4-2 on the season.
The Beavers return to action on Thursday, March 6, when they take on Dominican at 9 a.m.
-BEAVERS-