May 8, 2010
By: Brandy Bidlack, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team fell behind early and never recovered in the first game on Saturday, May 8, but the Beavers received a shutdown performance by game two starter Kelly Barnes (Toledo/Christian) to finish the 2010 campaign with a victory over Franklin College. Bluffton wrapped up its season with a 17-23 record, just one win from the school mark of 18 victories. The Beavers were 7-15 in Heartland Conference action. Franklin, who will be the number two seed in the upcoming HCAC tournament, finished the regular season with a 25-13 mark (15-7 HCAC).
Franklin 18, Bluffton 9
The Grizzly offense built a quick 7-0 lead over the Beavers in its first two frames. In the bottom of the second, Greg Bergstedt (Napoleon/Patrick Henry) singled to right field and advanced to third following a base hit from fellow sophomore Kyle Trainer (Mechanicsburg). A wild pitch plated Bergstedt and put Bluffton on the scoreboard.
The next inning, three hits and two errors from the visitors resulted in three runs which trimmed the deficit to three, 7-4. However, Franklin responded with nine runs in the next two innings while the home team managed just three runs. Already down 16-7, Franklin's Alex Boone homered over the center field wall for an 18-7 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kyle Niermann (Napoleon) singled and raced home on a Josh Runda (Lima/Bath) triple to right center. A single from Tyler Stephenson (Springfield/Northwestern) plated Runda, but the Grizzlies were too much as they defeated the Beavers 18-9 in the first game of the doubleheader.
Bergstedt, continued his torrid hitting, going 4-of-4 at the plate and scoring three times. Niermann had three hits while both Stephenson and Brennan Bauman (Milford) added two safeties in the contest. Adrian Fritch (Edon) fell to 2-3 on the season after giving up 12 runs on 11 hits in four innings on the mound.
Bluffton 8, Franklin 5
Nick Broyles (Toledo/Whitmer) sparked the Beaver offense with a triple to center field in the bottom of the first. He raced home on a Tyler Stephenson single. In the second inning of game two, Greg Bergstedt took second with a two-bagger to center field. Bergstedt advanced on a Cody McPherson (Northwood/Millbury Lake) single, and then a double steal made the score 2-2 in the bottom of the second.
Back to back home runs from Broyles and Stephenson gave Bluffton a 5-2 lead after three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, senior David Riddle (Loveland/Milford) launched his first career homer to lead off the frame. Miles Richardson (Granville/Newark Catholic) doubled down the right field line and came around to score following consecutive groundouts which made the score 7-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Stephen Torres (Lima/Juan Diego) scored following a three-bagger from Broyles, his second of the game. Franklin added three runs in the top of the ninth, but the Grizzlies grounded into a double play, resulting in an 8-5 victory for the home team in the Beavers final game of the 2010 season.
Nick Broyles and Tyler Stephenson both went 3-for-4 at the plate, with three and two RBI, respectively. Senior Cody McPherson rapped two hits in the game. Both Broyles, who tied the single-season record with his 10th long ball of the year, and Stephen Torres crossed home plate twice.
Improving to 1-1, sophomore Kelly Barnes (Toledo/Toledo Christian) was sensational on the hill, fanning a season-high 12 batters while giving up only two runs on five hits in eight innings of work.
-BEAVERS-