TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology relied on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning to earn a dramatic 7-6 win over Franklin College in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball action on Tuesday night at Art Nehf Field.
Senior Drew Schnitz worked a 3-2 pitch for a walk to score Logan Schiessle with the winning run and lift Rose-Hulman into a first place tie in the HCAC standings with Franklin. Both teams stand 8-4 in conference play after tonight's result.
Rose-Hulman scored two runs in the second, fifth and seventh innings to build a 6-4 lead entering the ninth inning. Franklin shortstop Sam Claycamp tied the game with a two-run home run, forcing extra innings in the first of three meetings between the two league title contenders this season.
Franklin placed a runner in scoring position in the 10th inning, before Stone Brogan made perhaps the biggest play of the game by picking off a Grizzly runner on third base with one out. Franklin would later load the bases, before Brogan forced Jarrod Smith to ground out to thwart the rally.
In the Rose-Hulman 10th, Schiessle opened the frame with a single. Conner Shipley dropped down a sacrifice bunt and an overthrow by Franklin put runners on second and third with no outs. Christian Sullivan nearly pitched out of the threat with a strikeout and a pop out, before Zach Trusk was intentionally walked to load the bases. Schnitz then walked to plate the winning run.
Brogan picked up the win with 1.2 innings out of the bullpen, after Chuck Alexa allowed just one run with four strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work. Jonathan Banks started and pitched Rose-Hulman to a 4-4 draw after six innings.
Offensively, Trusk led the Rose-Hulman offense with three hits including two doubles and two RBIs. Schnitz, Shipley and Schiessle recorded two hits each. Shipley had a team-high two runs and Davis Robeson also scored twice for the Fightin' Engineers.
Claycamp was 3-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored to lead Franklin's 10-hit offensive attack. Sullivan allowed just one run with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings to lead the pitching effort.
Rose-Hulman improved to 10-14 overall and is tied for the HCAC lead at 8-4. Franklin stands 16-9 and 8-4 in league play. The Fightin' Engineers travel to DePauw for a non-conference game on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
