April 14, 2017
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Bluffton offense finally dusted off the cobwebs on a beautiful Good Friday at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology but the Engineers would not be denied, taking a pair of one-run games with some late-inning heroics. Bluffton fell to 11-13 overall and 4-10 in the Heartland Conference, while Rose improved to 12-15 and 10-4 in the HCAC.
With Bluffton trailing 7-1 after four innings, the visitors broke through with three runs in the fifth. Austin Prosser (Galion) drove in Adam Duncan (Northwood/Lake) before a two-run double by Blake Fox (Berne, Ind./South Adams) made it 7-4.
A Luke Hickey (Toledo/Whitmer) RBI double in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh had the Beavers within a run, but four walks and a hit in the bottom of the frame pushed the spread to four runs (11-7) with two innings to play. Colin Gregory (Fremont/Clyde) picked up Prosser with a single and Chase Lawniczak (Toledo/Whitmer) lifted a sacrifice fly to left.
Gregory and Prosser were back at it with RBI singles in the eighth before Parker Reynolds (Avon) singled in the ninth. A Rose error allowed Lawniczak to score and Reynolds to get all the way to third with no outs, but the Beavers were unable to move the trying run the requisite 90 feet to force a bottom of the ninth.
Hickey and Prosser, who scored three times, both pounded three hits in the opener. Fox drove in three runs for the visitors.
Senior Dyson Bowman (Coshocton) fell to 2-2 after surrendering seven runs on five hits in two innings of work. He walked four and struck out three. Dante D'Andrea (Westerville/North) kept the Beavers in the game with four innings of one-run relief.
An Austin Prosser sacrifice fly in the first and a Parker Reynolds RBI base knock in the second helped the Beavers to an early 2-0 lead over the Engineers.
Rose answered with single runs in the home half of the second and third, knotting the game at 2-2 until Blake Fox delivered his team-high fifth sacrifice fly of the season in the sixth inning.
The offenses broke through in the eighth and ninth as Rose scored twice for a 4-3 lead going to the final frame. Lawniczak, Duncan and Hickey all drove in runs for the Beavers in the top of the ninth for a 6-4 advantage, but Rose followed suit with four hits and three runs of their own for the 7-6 victory and Good Friday sweep.
Hickey went 2-of-4, giving him five hits on the day. Gregory crossed the dish twice in game two.
Jaylen Von Sossan (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) turned in another quality start, allowing just two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings of work. He struck out three and did not issue a free pass.
The Beavers will wrap up their Easter weekend series at Rose with a single game on Saturday, April 15. The first pitch is slated for 12 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
