May 1, 2010
ANDERSON, Indiana - The Anderson University Ravens completed a three-game sweep over the Beavers on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Bluffton fell to 15-21 overall and 5-13 in the Heartland Conference, while the Ravens improved to 22-14 and 13-5 in the HCAC. Anderson honored retiring Head Coach Don Brandon who has been a part of Raven baseball for over 38 years.
Anderson 23, Bluffton 9
Bluffton spotted Anderson University a 16-1 lead after just two innings and the Beavers never recovered as AU took the first game on Saturday 23-9. Kyle Trainer (Mechanicsburg) singled home Brennan Bauman (Milford) in the top of the second, but the Ravens followed their four-run first with 11 hits and 12 runs in the bottom of the second inning. It took a double-play lineout to get the visitors off the field in frame two.
Two bases loaded walks by the Beavers set up Jarret's grand slam in the third as Anderson plated six more runs and ran out to a 22-1 advantage.
Back-to-back doubles by Greg Bergstedt (Napoleon/Patrick Henry) and Miles Richardson (Granville/Newark Catholic) allowed Bluffton to score in the fourth and Brennan Bauman ripped a two-run homer in the fifth following a Tyler Stephenson (Springfield/Northwestern) single, making it 22-4.
The teams traded single runs in the bottom of the fifth and top of the sixth before Bluffton went to its bench and scored four times in the seventh, making the final score 23-9. Tad Margolies (Toledo/Southview) lifted a sacrifice fly to center which scored senior David Riddle (Milford) and one out later Bergstedt pounded a two-run homer. Ian Land (Troy, Mich./Athens) crossed the plate on an RBI single by Kyle Niermann (Napoleon) before Anderson closed the door on the Beavers.
Bergstedt paced the Bluffton offense with three hits, three runs and two RBI. Trainer, Niermann and Brennan Bauman all chipped in with two hits. Niermann and Bauman both drove in a pair of runs while Bauman scored twice.
Ryan Leugers (Botkins) fell to 0-2 after allowing 13 runs on 14 hits while retiring just four batters. Seth Harshberger (Elyria) and Kyle Trainer combined to limit the Ravens to one run on four hits over 3.2 innings.
Anderson 12, Bluffton 4
Bluffton took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two when Kyle Niermann took advantage of an Anderson balk after leading off with a double.
Anderson's leadoff hitter Young answered with a home run and the Ravens followed that with three scores in the second. Young's second dinger in as many innings drove in Addington after Clem scored on a sacrifice fly by Worrell.
The visitors made it 4-2 when Stephen Torres (Lima/Juan Diego) doubled home Kyle Niermann in the top of the third. That was what the score remained until Anderson added three runs on three hits in the fifth.
A four-run seventh gave Anderson breathing room as AU used two singles, two doubles and a walk to make the score 11-2.
Brennan Bauman continued to pound the ball, driving a two run homer out of the park in the eighth, but a Tucker long ball in the home half made the final score 12-4 in favor of the Ravens.
Seth Hershberger dropped his first decision of the year after giving up seven runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings against one of the top offenses in the country. He struck out one and issued four walks.
Bluffton returns to action on Tuesday, May 4, when the Beavers travel to Defiance College. The nine-inning contest with the Yellow Jackets is slated to start at 4 p.m.
-BEAVERS-