April 4, 2008

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - On a day when the Bluffton bats went silent, the Beavers' bullpen handed Rose-Hulman an 11-3 victory when the Engineers pasted seven runs on the scoreboard against four Bluffton pitchers in the seventh inning on Friday, April 4, 2008. The Beavers fell to 8-12 overall and 2-6 in the Heartland Conference, while RHIT improved to 16-7 with a 3-2 mark in the HCAC.

Bluffton looked like it was going to work around a jam in the bottom of the third when the Beavers cut down DECKER trying to score on a comebacker. Following a fly out by KENT with runners on first and second, a LONG single made the score 1-0. A Bluffton error allowed the Engineers to push another run across the plate for the 2-0 lead.

A.J. RAMTHUN (Springfield/Southeastern) opened the fourth with a single and TIM KAY(Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) drove him in with an RBI double to cut the deficit in half.

Two innings later a CHRIS BAUMAN (Milford/Milford) single scored Kay, who had laced a one-out single, and knotted the game at two.

After six and a half innings of quality baseball, the Beavers' pitching unraveled in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff walk, a WILLIAMS single and a sacrifice bunt put both runners in scoring position. Kent delivered a two-RBI single for the 4-2 lead. A walk to Long ended MATT PERKINS (Convoy/Crestview) day, but senior relievers WILL GERBER (Kidron/Central Christian) and TYLER SPRUNGER (Berne, Ind./South Adams), who faced seven batters, combined for only one out while surrendering three runs on three hits with three walks and three wild pitches before NATE BLANTON (Cincinnati/LaSalle) got the Beavers out of the frame that would not end.

MIKE RAMTHUN (Springfield Southeastern) crossed the plate following a Rose error in the top of the eighth, but the Engineers tacked on two more scores in the bottom of the frame for the 11-3 victory over the Beavers.

Kay led the Beavers at the plate, going 3-of-4 with one run scored and one RBI. Perkins fell to 0-2 with the loss. He gave up six runs on six hits in 6.1 innings of work on the hill.

Bluffton returns to action on Saturday, April 5, when the Beavers finish their three-game series at Rose-Hulman. The first contest of the doubleheader is slated to start at 12 p.m.

-BEAVERS-