April 22, 2007
ANDERSON, Ind. - The Bluffton University baseball team could not overcome an eight-run sixth inning as Anderson University completed a three-game sweep of the Beavers with an 11-7 victory on Sunday, April 22, 2007. Bluffton falls to 3-12 on the season with a 3-11 mark in the Heartland Conference.
The Ravens played small ball in the bottom of the first as leadoff hitter Zach Sounhein singled and promptly stole second. He moved to third on Pete Whiting's sacrifice bunt and scored when Eric Smith lifted a sacrifice fly to center.
Bluffton evened the score in the top of the third when Curtis Schroeder (Shelby/Shelby) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing Tony Moore (Elida/Elida) across the plate after he roped a one-out double.
In the bottom of the fourth, Zach Jones plated Stephen Jones with a triple and he made the score 3-1 when Grant Choler hit a two-bagger for the Ravens.
Corey Conn's (London/London) solo homer in the sixth cut the deficit to a lone run before Anderson put the game away with eight runs, only two of which were earned, in the bottom half of the inning. Stephen Jones reached safely on an infield error and Anderson took advantage. A base on balls, four singles and a Jones two-run homer in his second trip to the plate in the sixth provided the Ravens with all the runs they needed as Anderson carried an 11-3 lead into the seventh.
Moore opened the seventh with a one-out triple and he scored on Jimmy McMonagle's (Ida, Mich/Ida) base hit. Tim Kay (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) tripled home McMonagle before Cody McPherson (Northwood/Lake) reached on a Raven error. Schroeder's double picked up McPherson as the Beavers trimmed the deficit to five runs, 11-6.
Schroeder brought home McMonagle with his sacrifice fly to left in the ninth, but it was not enough as the Ravens completed the season sweep of the Beavers with an 11-7 victory in Anderson.
Moore finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs scored while Kay continued his torrid hitting with a 2-of-3 afternoon at the plate with a pair of walks. McMonagle and Conn both collected multiple hits with McMonagle scoring two runs for the Beavers.
McPherson took the loss, giving up 11 runs, only five of which were earned, on 10 hits with five strikeouts in 5.2 innings on the mound. Tyler Sprunger (Berne, Ind./South Adams) limited Anderson to no runs on one hit over the final 2.1 innings.
The Beavers return to action on Tuesday, April 24, when they welcome St. Francis to Bluffton for a mid-week doubleheader. The first game is slated to start at 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
