May 5, 2007
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The HCAC leading Pioneers of Transylvania proved to be too much for the Beavers in the final series of 2007. Transy completed the sweep of Bluffton with a pair of victories on Saturday, May 5, by the scores of 7-3 and 11-5 in a game that was shortened due to rain. Bluffton ended its season with a 5-19 overall record, including a 4-15 mark in the Heartland Conference. Transy can finish no lower than second in the conference as the Pioneers completed their HCAC contests with a 16-6 mark.
Game 1 - Transylvania 7, Bluffton 3
The Pioneers' first six batters reached safely and Eaton followed with a sacrifice fly to right before Tolliver drove home Lawson, giving Transylvania a 5-0 lead when the dust settled from inning one.
In the top of the fourth, Bluffton rallied to cut the deficit to two runs. Cody McPherson (Northwood/Lake) was hit to lead off the inning. One out later, Curtis Schroeder (Shelby/Shelby) ripped an RBI double to center. Ryan Baightel (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) followed suit with a run-scoring two-bagger down the left field line. First baseman Steve Roberts (West Salem/Mapleton) plated Baightel with his single to right before Transy got out of the jam with an inning-ending double play.
Transy tacked on a run in both the fifth and sixth innings and the Pioneers' pitchers mowed down the Bluffton hitters, allowing only two baserunners over the final three innings for a 7-3 victory in the first game.
Sophomore Matt Perkins (Convoy/Crestview) took the loss, giving up seven runs on nine hits with two strikeouts in six innings. He fell to 1-4 on the year despite holding the Pioneers to only four singles over the final five innings of the game.
Schroeder, Baightel and Roberts all drove in runs for the Beavers.
Game 2 - Transylvania 11, Bluffton 5
Through the first six innings of game two, the visitors mustered only four hits while Transylvania was taking advantage of four Bluffton errors and timely hitting to take an 11-0 lead before the Beavers came to the plate in the top of the seventh.
Consecutive singles by Darek Zook (Bellefontaine/Riverside) and Greg Sigg (Maumee/Maumee) after David Riddle (Milford/Milford) was hit by a pitch led to Bluffton's first run of the game. Austin Gray's (Lewisburg/Tri-County North) two-bagger to right center brought home Zook and Sigg, making the score 11-3. One out later with Gray and Allen Slabaugh (Dalton/Dalton) both in scoring position, McPherson laced a two-RBI single to right center. Transy ended the threat with a strikeout and rain forced the contest to be called midway through the seventh with the Pioneers on top by a score of 11-5.
Corey Conn (London/London) ended the contest 2-for-2. McPherson and Gray both knocked in two runs in the second game.
Tim Kay (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) fell to 2-3 as he gave up eight runs, only two earned, on eight hits in 3.2 innings of work on the mound.
Bluffton's 2007 baseball season is complete following the three-game series at Transylvania.
-BEAVERS-
