By: Brandy Bidlack, sports information assistant
April 26, 2008
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team picked up two wins against HCAC-leading Transylvania on Saturday, April 26, 2008. The Beavers improved to 15-19 this season with a 7-11 mark in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, while the Pioneers dropped to 13-6 in the HCAC and 25-9 overall.
Bluffton 10, Transylvania 4
Bluffton took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when TIM KAY (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) slammed the ball over the left field fence for a two-run shot that plated A.J. RAMTHUN (Springfield/Southeastern) who doubled down the right field line with one out.
The Beavers added another run when CHRIS BAUMAN (Milford/Milford) doubled to right field, allowing TONY MOORE (Elida/Elida) to cross the plate in the third inning. Bluffton scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but Transy's three-run fifth made the score 5-4 after five innings of play.
COREY CONN (London/London) sparked the Beavers' offense in the bottom of the sixth with a double to right center. BRETT HOWARD (Toledo/St. Francis DeSales) bunted and went to second when Transy committed an error which allowed Conn to score. With the bases loaded, Kay singled up the middle and picked up two RBI when Howard and Moore crossed the plate. Another Pioneer error made the score 10-4 as A.J. Ramthun and Kay motored around to score following a failed pickoff attempt that went awry.
Tim Kay went 3-of-4 with four RBI and three runs scored. Moore, Ramthun and COREY CONN(London/London) all finished the contest with two hits. Ramthun and Moore both scored twice in the victory.
Tim Kay improved to 3-4 on the season with his complete game seven-hitter. He limited Transylvania to four runs and fanned five batters in seven innings of work.
Bluffton 12, Transy 7
JIMMY MCMONAGLE'S (Ida, Mich./Ida) squeeze bunt in the first inning of game two plated A.J. Ramthun and moved CHRIS BAUMAN (Milford/Milford) and TIM KAY into scoring position with two outs. STEVE ROBERTS (West Salem/Mapleton) delivered a two-RBI single to right field for the 3-0 lead.
Brett Howard doubled to right field to start the second inning. Following a Tony Moore base hit, A.J. Ramthun's single made it 5-0 after two frames.
The third inning also started with a double, this time to center field by Corey Conn. After advancing to third thanks to Steve Roberts' fly ball, Conn scored on a sacrifice fly by Howard. MIKE RAMTHUN (Springfield/Southeastern) stole second and he came around to score when his brother A.J. singled to left center for the 7-0 lead.
Transy plated a run in the top of the fifth when EVAN RHEA drilled a leadoff homer, but Bluffton put the game on ice with four scores in the bottom of the frame. The Beavers rapped five hits, including Tim Kay's two-RBI triple to right center.
After being hit by a pitch, A.J. Ramthun crossed the plate when Transy's attempt to gun him down at third base sailed down the left field line in the seventh inning.
The Pioneers scored twice in the sixth inning and four more times in the eighth, but ADRIAN FRITCH (Edon/Edon) came on and closed out the victory for the Beavers, allowing just one run over the final 1.1 innings with no walks.
A.J. Ramthun led the Beavers at the plate, going 3-of-3 with three runs scored and three RBI. Tony Moore also had three hits, while Moore, Brett Howard, and Tim Kay, who finished with three RBI, each scored two runs. Howard, Kay, and Corey Conn collected two hits apiece.
MATT PERKINS (Convoy/Crestview) improved to 1-4 with the win. Perkins pitched six strong innings, giving up only three runs on eight hits while firing five strikeouts and issuing only one free pass.
The Beavers return to action on Tuesday, April 29, when they host HCAC rival Manchester College. The game is slated to start at 4 p.m.
-BEAVERS-