TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology baseball team swept Bluffton University in a Sunday doubleheader matinee. Rose-Hulman clinched a bid to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference on May 12-14 in Kokomo, Indiana, with the 3-0 and 10-7 doubleheader sweep.
In the opener, Ian Kline tossed a three-hit complete game shutout to lead the Rose-Hulman to a 3-0 win.
Kline (6-2) finished with 95 pitches in nine innings of work for Rose-Hulman, giving up three hits, walking none and striking out three.
Josh Mesenbrink led the way offensively for the Engineers, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Brett Tuttle added a 2-for-4 day with a home run and an RBI. Harrison Finch also chipped in, going 2-for-4 for Rose-Hulman with a double.
In the nightcap, Josh Erpenbeck (3-1) struck out eight hitters over 5.1 innings of work to pick up the win in a 10-7 victory. Erpenbeck allowed just one run on four hits with no walks in the performance.Â
Tuttle led the way with a 2-for-4 performance that included a home run, triple and three RBIs.  Colter Couillard-Rodak was also 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBIs.
Manuel Lopez pitched in with a 2-for-5 effort with a double and two RBIs. Finch also had a multi-hit game at 2-for-3 effort at the dish with one RBI.
The Fightin' Engineers improved to 22-10 overall and 11-5 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and return to action on Thursday at DePauw University. Bluffton dropped to 16-21 overall and 8-8 in HCAC play.
GAME 2 | Rose-Hulman 10, Bluffton 7
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing 2-0, the Engineers first put runs on the board in the third inning. Tuttle and Mesenbrink each reached safely by getting hit by pitches. Kade Kline reached on an infield single which scored Tuttle, then Lope roped a double scoring Mesenbrink.
The Beavers then rallied to score four runs and take a 6-3 lead before the Engineers got back on the board in the fourth. Rose-Hulman scored three times, with an output that included back-to-back homers from Tuttle and Couillard-Rodak, which evened the score at 6-6.
That 6-6 tie turned into a 7-6 Rose-Hulman lead in the seventh due to a Colton Brown sacrifice bunt that turned into an error scoring Mesenbrink.
Rose-Hulman held the Beavers without a run before their offense got things rolling the next inning, bringing the score to 10-6 in favor of Rose-Hulman. Adam Taylor began the inning with a single up the middle, only for Tuttle to triple to right center to bring home Taylor.
Couillard-Rodak followed up the triple with a double to score Tuttle, then Mesenbrink drove a line drive into left field to score Couillard-Rodak.
GAME NOTES
» Couillard-Rodak picked up three hits in the game for Rose-Hulman.
» Erpenbeck struck out eight Beavers hitters.
» The Engineers had both Couillard-Rodak and Tuttle crush multiple extra-base hits in the ballgame.
» The Rose-Hulman pitching staff combined to strike out 12 Bluffton hitters.
» Rose-Hulman's highest scoring inning was the eighth, when it pushed three runs across.
» Four Engineers had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Engineers out-hit the Beavers at a 13-6 clip.
» Rose-Hulman went 4-for-13 (.308) with runners in scoring position.
» Rose-Hulman pitchers limited Bluffton to just 1-for-7 (.143) with runners in scoring position.
» Rose-Hulman pitchers faced 42 Bluffton hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out 12.
» Tuttle led the Engineers at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run and three RBI.
» Bluffton was led offensively by Garrett O'Reilly, who went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
» Jacob Boelkens led the Beavers pitching staff, throwing 1.1 innings of one-run ball.
GAME 1 | Rose-Hulman 3, Bluffton 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Engineers took the lead for good in the first, scoring for the first time in the inning. Rose-Hulman plated two runs when Mesenbrink left the yard to right field with Tuttle aboard.
The Engineers also added a run in the second inning to complete their scoring in the ballgame on Tuttle's no-doubter over the right field fence.
GAME NOTES
» Kline tossed a three-hit shutout for the Engineers.
» The Engineers power output was led by Mesenbrink, who compiled two extra base hits in the ballgame.
» Rose-Hulman's highest scoring inning was the first, when it pushed two runs across.
» Rose-Hulman grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» Kline put together nine innings of shutout ball for the Engineers.
» Four Engineers had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Engineers out-hit the Beavers at an 8-3 clip.
» Rose-Hulman pitchers faced 29 Bluffton hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and 14 fly balls while striking out three.
» Mesenbrink led the Engineers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI.
» Bluffton was led offensively by Garrett O'Reilly, who went 1-for-4.
» Carson Curnutte led the Beavers pitching staff, throwing seven innings of three-run ball.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
