TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers hosted Bluffton in their home opener on Saturday. The team earned the sweep over the Beavers with final scores of 9-8 and 10-0. This improves the team to 8-8 overall and 2-2 in the HCAC.
The first game of the day proved to be a competitive contest.
Jessica Newsom hit a three-run homer to put the Fightin' Engineers on the board first in the second inning.
Rose-Hulman scored another run after a single by
Katelyn Sarvis brought in a run by
Aubrey Smith to make the score 4-0 in the second.
Bluffton answered with a strong third inning, putting up five runs to take the lead.
Grace Booher tied the game in the bottom of the third with a base hit to bring in the tying run by
Kayla Schnippel.
Both teams would add another run to make the score 6-6 at the end of regulation. Bluffton put the pressure on the Fightin' Engineers, scoring two runs in the top of the eighth to stand ahead 8-6.
Singles by Sarvis and Schnippel brought in two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. With the bases loaded and Rose-Hulman down to their last out, Booher stepped up to the plate for some late-game heroics. Booher walked it off with a single to left field to bring in the game-winning run in the first half of the doubleheader.
Schnippel led the team at the plate, going 3-5 with two runs and one RBI. Smith pitched a complete game, earning the win, going 8.0 innings with three strikeouts.
In the second game of the day, Rose-Hulman took control early. Smith started the game with a two-run homer to left field in the first inning.
A single by Schnippel extended the lead to four, bringing in runs by Sarvis and
Phoebe Worstell.
Rose-Hulman stayed hot, building a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning. Smith ended the game with a walk-off grand slam to complete the sweep over Bluffton.
Smith led the team in game two, going 3-4 with three runs and six RBIs. Worstell earned the win in the circle, pitching the complete 5.0 innings with 10 strikeouts.
The Rose-Hulman softball team will return to action tomorrow, Sunday, April 13, hosting Berea in HCAC play at 1 PM and 3 PM.
