|
04.29.06
- In a four-game series with Taylor University over the weekend,
the Foresters (22-21, 11-13) narrowly missed completing the sweep
winning the first three games 5-0, 13-5 and 4-0, but dropping the
fourth 6-5 in eight innings.
In game one, Drew Taylor threw a
complete game shutout to help get the Foresters off to a good start.
He scattered seven hits over the seven innings and struck out four.
A Blake Hindsley solo shot over the right field fence in the second
was the only scoring done in the game until HU put the game out of
reach with four in the top of the seventh. Andy Janzen delivered
the key hit in the inning, a two-out bases-loaded single that drove in
all three runners. Korey Grow led the Foresters with a 3-4 performance
at the plate and one RBI.
Both teams scored a run to open game
two. The Foresters then took advantage of three hits and two
Trojan errors to push five across in the top of the third, but Taylor
answered back with three in their half of the inning. In the top
of the fifth, HU used four hits and another Trojan error to add three
more. Taylor cut it to 9-5 with a run in the sixth, but again
HU sealed the win with four in its final at-bat. Keith Benbow had
a hot bat collecting three singles and a double to lead the HU
offense, and Austan Kas drove in four runs in the game. Josh
Clark went the distance for the Foresters in the win. He gave up
five runs on eight hits and he struck out five.
To open Saturday's doubleheader, Michael
Dalton threw a four-hit gem to shut out Taylor 4-0. HU's offense
did all of its damage in the bottom of the third. Benbow was hit
by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a one-out single
by Janzen. Hindsley singled to right to score Benbow and Levi
Sell tripled to drive in Janzen and Hindsley. Adam Farris
then singled to knock in Sell to complete the scoring. Hindsley was
the lone Forester with two hits in the game.
The final game of the series turned
into a seesaw battle. HU took the early lead when Kas homered in
the bottom of the first. Kas then drove in the Foresters' second
run in the third with a single up the middle. Two Taylor hits
and two throwing errors by third baseman Michael Dalton allowed the
Trojans to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the sixth. The
Foresters rallied to tie it at 4-4 in their half of the frame, but
Taylor reclaimed the lead with a run in the top of the seventh.
Again HU responded and knotted it at 5-5 on a Hindsley single to left,
forcing the game into extra innings. Another throwing error in
the top of the eighth,
this time by Janzen, led to the Trojans' sixth unearned run of the
game. Again the Foresters tried to respond and looked to have
tied the game when Taylor's shortstop appeared to pull the first
baseman off the bag with his throw, but the umpire called Kas out at
first for the final out of the game nullifying the run scored by
Dalton.
Dalton, who had come on in relief of
Grow in the seventh, took the loss for HU. He allowed a run on a
hit and two walks while striking out two.
The Foresters (22-21, 11-13) must now
await the result of this evening's game between Grace and Indiana
Wesleyan to know whether they will have a spot in the MCC Tournament.
If Grace wins the game, HU will be in, if IWU wins, the Foresters'
season will be complete.
Side note: The MCC released the
baseball post-season awards today. Forester outfielder Korey
Grow and third baseman Andy Janzen were First Team selections.
Forester pitcher Josh Clark was an Honorable Mention selection.
Spring Arbor pitcher Jesse Bachman was the named the MCC Player of the
Year and Greg Roberts of St. Francis was the Coach of the Year. |