April 23, 2011
By: Mallory Kemper, sports information intern
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team ran its winning streak to five consecutive games with a pair of wins over HCAC-power Anderson University on Saturday, April 23, 2011. With the victories, Bluffton snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Ravens. In the first game the Beavers scored five runs in the first and seven runs in the sixth inning to take a 13-6 victory before a Tyler Wright (Troy) home run in the bottom of the 10th gave Bluffton an 12-11 walkoff in game two. Bluffton improved to 7-10 in the HCAC and 15-17 overall, while the Ravens fell to 9-6 in the conference and 21-10 on the season.
In the first inning the Beavers took a commanding 5-0 lead before the dust settled, starting with a Kyle Niermann (Napoleon) lead off double. Three batters later, Airic Steagall (Hillsboro) also hit a double to the wall in center field which plated three runs. Wright then homered for a quick 5-0 lead.
Anderson scored two runs in the third and four runs in the fifth thanks to a Michael Tucker long ball to knot the game at six heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Bluffton scored seven runs on seven hits in the sixth inning, starting with a Tim Webb (Delaware/Worthington Christian) double. Tyler Stephenson (Springfield/Northwestern) hit the third homer of the game, driving in two runs for the Beavers as Bluffton took the lid lifter by a 13-6 count.
Airic Steagall went 2-of-4 at the plate, scored two runs and finished with five RBI. Kyle Niermann added three hits, two runs and two RBI. Ryan Leugers (Botkins) improved to 3-5, tossing a complete game while allowing 11 hits and six runs. Greg Vogt, who entered the game having allowed only 11 earned runs in 61.0 innings, took his first loss of the season (6-1) after tossing 5.1 innings and giving up 15 hits and 13 earned runs.
In game two Bluffton was down 11-10 going into the bottom of the ninth before a Miles Richardson (Granville/Newark Catholic) sacrifice fly scored Kyle Trainer (Mechanicsburg) and sent the game into extra innings. The Beavers held the Ravens in the top of the tenth, and a long ball from Wright gave the home team its fifth straight victory.
In the third inning Wright laced a two-run single. Junior Kevin Martin (Bryan) followed with another base knock, scoring two for a 7-3 Bluffton lead going into the fourth. Anderson added three runs in the fifth with another Tucker dinger, his 14th of the season, to pull the Ravens within two, 8-6.
In the eighth inning Anderson hit three solo homers by Brett Detty, Nate Clem and Austin Young in a span of just 10 pitches to take an 11-8 lead.
Nick Broyles (Toledo/Whitmer) hit a single and he went to third following a Stephenson two-bagger. Wright stepped to the plate and hit another single, scoring two runs which made it a one-run game going to the ninth.
Following the Richardson sac fly in the ninth, Anderson went down without a whimper in the top of the 10th, setting the stage for Wright's game winner over the wall in left center.
Tyler Wright had an outstanding game, going 5-of-6 at the dish, including three runs scored and six RBI. Nick Broyles was 3-of-4 at the plate, adding three runs and one RBI. Tyler Stephenson finished with four hits and three runs scored. Kyle Trainer, Kevin Martin and Miles Richardson each had two hits while Martin added two RBI.
Freshman Ben Roeschley (Graymont, IL/Flanagan) picked up the win, staying perfect at 3-0 while throwing 2.0 innings of shutout ball. Andrew Enderle, who came on for the Ravens in the 10th, fell to 0-2 on the season.
Bluffton continues its series with Anderson on Monday, April 25. The game with the Ravens is slated for 12 p.m. at Memorial Field.
-BEAVERS-