April 29, 2008
BLUFFTON, Ohio - Manchester College sent 15 batters to the plate in a nine-run sixth inning as the Spartans finished Heartland Conference play with a 14-6 victory over the Bluffton University baseball team on a cool and windy April 29, 2008. Bluffton fell to 15-20 overall and 7-12 in the HCAC while Manchester improved to 18-20 with an 11-11 mark in the conference.
MATTY MILLER drove a two-out triple to right center and crossed the plate when DANNER PARTRIDGE singled down the left field line for a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Bluffton knotted the contest thanks to a Manchester throwing error that allowed TONY MOORE (Elida/Elida) to score following TIM KAY'S (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) theft of second base in the bottom of the first.
Manchester put a pair of unearned runs on the board in the second. JAY SHEETS doubled and scored on a Bluffton fielding error before JOSH BUELL tripled home HEATH WILLIAMS for the 3-1 lead.
Despite loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning, Bluffton scored just one run as COLIN DENIHAN got a ground ball double play that allowed COREY CONN(London/London) to cross the plate before a line drive to second base that ended the threat.
The Spartans added single runs in the third and fourth frames before Bluffton knotted the contest with three scores in the bottom of the fifth frame. Two Manchester errors helped Bluffton load the bases for CHRIS BAUMAN (Milford/Milford) who delivered a two-RBI single to right field. JIMMY MCMONAGLE'S (Ida, Mich./Ida) perfectly placed squeeze bunt down the first base line plated Tim Kay and tied the game at five.
Bluffton's hopes were quickly extinguished as the first eight batters for Manchester reached safely in the top of the sixth. The Spartans took advantage of three walks, two hit batters and seven hits, including a JAY SHEETS triple, to blow the game wide open with nine earned runs which made the score 14-5.
Moore opened the Bluffton seventh with a single up the middle and he came around to score on McMonagle's base hit down the right field line, but it was not enough as Manchester closed the door and finished off its season sweep of the Beavers, 14-6.
Tony Moore went 2-of-5 at the plate with three runs scored and he is now two hits shy of tying Bluffton's all-time hits record of 168 hits. A.J. RAMTHUN (Springfield/Southeastern), STEVE ROBERTS (West Salem/Mapleton) and BRETT HOWARD (Toledo/St. Francis DeSales) all collected two hits for the Beavers. Bauman and McMonagle both drove in a pair of runs.
Danner Partridge led the Spartans with four hits while JOHN SMOLINSKI drove in three runs and Heath Williams scored four times.
ADRIAN FRITCH (Edon/Edon) took the loss after giving up four runs on two hits in one inning of relief. He walked two batters and struck out two. Starter DUSTIN ZIZELMAN(Rockford/Parkway) went four innings and gave up five runs on seven hits over four innings. Senior BRANDON FREYTAG (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) worked three innings of shutout relief and limited the Spartans to just one bloop double while striking out two batters.
The Beavers wrap up their season with a three-game series against Anderson University this weekend. The first contest is scheduled to start in Memorial Field at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 2, 2008.
-BEAVERS-