April 25, 2010

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team won its fourth consecutive game when it completed a Heartland Conference series sweep over visiting Hanover College on Sunday, April 25, 2010. The Beavers improved to 14-18 overall and 4-10 in the HCAC, while Hanover fell to 12-20 on the season and 3-12 in the conference.

The visitors jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead on the strength of four hits in the top of the first inning. A pair of infield singles and RBI doubles by Ryan Grau and Kevin Sears put Hanover on top.

Bluffton rallied to tie the game with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Nick Broyles (Toledo/Whitmer) pounded his seventh home run of the season with Stephen Torres (Lima/Juan Diego) on base, cutting the deficit to one before Brennan Bauman (Milford) singled home Tyler Stephenson (Toledo/Springfield).

The Beavers scored an unearned run in the fourth inning, making it 4-3 going to the fifth. With the bases loaded and just one down in the fifth, freshman Nick Rodesky (Bowling Green) struck out Sears and Clay Slaughter swinging to keep the lead intact.

The home team blew it open with three runs on five hits in the bottom of the frame and then let the rain cap off a five-inning victory over the visiting Panthers. Kyle Trainer (Mechanicsburg) plated Cody McPherson (Northwood/Millbury Lake) and Michael Knorr with his base knock to right center and Kyle Niermann (Napoleon) followed with a run-scoring single to right field for the final 7-3 margin.

Stephenson, Bauman and Knorr all finished the contest with two hits. Trainer and Broyles drove in two runs each and Miles Richardson (Granville/Newark Catholic) scored twice. Nick Rodesky improved to 2-3 with his two strikeouts in the top of the fifth.

Bluffton returns to action on Tuesday, April 27, when the Beavers host Manchester College. The contest is slated to start at 4 p.m.

-BEAVERS-