April 27, 2010
By: Brent Schroeder, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team rallied for a thrilling 10-9 ninth-inning comeback win over Manchester College on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. The Beavers improved to 15-18 overall and 5-10 in the Heartland Conference. The win over the Spartans, who were fresh off a three-game sweep of HCAC front-runner Rose-Hulman last weekend, was the fifth straight for the Beavers. It marks the first time since 2006 that Bluffton has won five consecutive games, a feat that the Beavers have accomplished just six times in school history. Manchester fell to 18-15 overall and 10-6 in the Heartland Conference
Bluffton jumped out in front early, striking in the bottom of the second inning as Tyler Stephenson (Springfield/Northwestern) scored on a dropped fly ball, putting Bluffton ahead 1-0. Later in the inning, senior Brennan Bauman (Milford) scored on a single to left field by freshman Miles Richardson (Granville/Newark Catholic), making it 2-0. Manchester would cut the deficit to one in the top of the third and they tied the game at two in the top of the fourth inning on an infield single.
Bluffton claimed a short-lived lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on a triple by sophomore Kyle Trainer (Mechanicsburg) that picked up Greg Bergstedt (Napoleon/Patrick Henry) and gave the Beavers a 3-2 lead. The slim advantage was quickly erased by Manchester as the visitors put up a four-spot in the fifth inning and then added two more runs to it in the top of the sixth inning.
The Beavers and Spartans traded runs going into the bottom of the eighth inning as the Beavers trailed 9-4. The home team then pounded out four runs on six hits, scoring first on a single by freshman Kyle Niermann (Napoleon) and again on a base knock by senior Stephen Torres (Lima/Juan Diego). Sophomore Nick Broyles (Toledo/Whitmer) blasted a two-run homer to right field, his eighth of the year, cutting the deficit to one at 9-8.
Bluffton shut down the Spartan offense in the top of the ninth and mounted its own attack in the bottom of the ninth. A lead-off walk and sacrifice bunt put a runner on second base with one out. An infield single by Kyle Trainer put runners on first and second with Kyle Niermann coming to the dish. Niermann tied the game at nine on a single down the left field line that plated freshman pinch runner Ian Land (Troy, Mich./Athens). Sophomore Nick Broyles sent the Spartans away with a loss on a walk-off single to left center field that scored Kyle Trainer and gave the Beavers a 10-9 win in nine innings.
Greg Bergstedt went 3-of-4 with two runs scored. Kyle Trainer finished the day 3-of-5 with a pair of runs scored. Kyle Niermann and Stephen Torres both went 3-of-6 with a run scored and two RBI. Nick Broyles drove in three runs on two hits, while Tyler Stephenson and Brennan Bauman added two safeties apiece.
Cody McPherson (Northwood/Millbury Lake) worked five innings of relief to earn his fourth victory of the season. He allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts and just one walk.
Bluffton heads Anderson University to take on the Ravens on Friday, April 30, 2010. The contest is scheduled for a 4 p.m start.
-BEAVERS-