April 2, 2010
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The College of Mount St. Joseph used its superb pitching to take a pair of games from the Beavers at Xavier University on Good Friday, April 2, 2010. Bluffton dropped to 7-14 overall and 0-7 in the Heartland Conference, while MSJ improved to 12-8 with a spotless 3-0 mark in the HCAC.
Mount St. Joseph 7, Bluffton 0
The Lions scored all the runs they would need when MSJ took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of innng one. Two walks and a hit batter combined with three hits gave the home team a lead that was never in jeopardy. MSJ tacked on three more scores in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
Bluffton managed just four hits as game one starter Ernst struck out five and pitched a complete game with only one walk. Kelly Barnes (Toledo/Christian) worked just one inning, giving up four runs on three hits with two walks while dropping his first decision of the year.
Mount St. Joseph 4, Bluffton 2
Bluffton tied the game at two in the top half of the eighth only to see MSJ push two runs across in the bottom of the frame to complete the three-game sweep.
Cody McPherson (Northwood/Millbury Lake) picked up Nick Broyles (Toledo/Whitmer) with an RBI single in the top of the first. However, two walks and an MSJ single allowed the Lions to answer back with a run of their own in the home half.
With the Beavers trailing 2-1, McPherson reached on a Lion error to open the eighth. Stephen Torres (Lima/Juan Diego) moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt before Brennan Bauman (Milford) knotted the game with a two-bagger to right center.
The home team responded with three hits, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to go ahead 4-2 heading to the ninth. A one-out walk to Broyles was negated when Bluffton grounded into a game-ending double play.
Broyles went 2-of-4 to lead the Beavers. Starter Nick Rodesky (Bowling Green) tossed 5.1 innings and gave up two runs on just three hits with three walks. Ryan Leugers (Botkins) took the loss after allowing two runs in two innings with two walks.
The Beavers return to action with a pair of non-conference games against Oberlin College on Tuesday night at the Pipe Yard. The first contest is slated for 5 p.m.
-BEAVERS-