GREENCASTLE, Ind. – The Fightin' Engineers dropped to DePauw in a down-to-the-wire battle, by a score of 6-5.
Brad Nardi opened the game by striking out the first batter he faced, and he added another strikeout with a runner in scoring position to close out the second inning.
The Tigers would take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, as Aidan Howard hit a solo home run out to right field.
Jackson Harms led off the top of the fourth by being walked on a full count, before
Connor O'Connell hit a double to left center field, putting two runners in scoring position. In the very next at bat,
Mason Rasmussen hit a sacrifice fly out to left field, where Harms scored to tie the game at 1-1.
With two outs,
Noah Rasmussen hit an RBI single to center field, where O'Connell's run put Rose-Hulman in the lead.
Matthew Furtado would go yard on the very first pitch of his at bat, as he hit a two RBI homer over the left field wall, extending the lead to 4-1.
Nardi would force three quick outs in the bottom of the fourth, and he concluded the inning by striking out the batter swinging.
Andrew Noblitt added a strikeout in the fifth inning, but the Tigers were able to score an unearned run on a passed ball to reduce the deficit to two. Noblitt picked up his second strikeout of the game in the sixth, as he closed out the inning by sending the batter down swinging.
Summers was walked early in the seventh inning, where he would proceed to steal second.
Michael Hines would add a single to right field, advancing Summers to third, and Summers would conclude the inning by scoring on a balk with two outs.
Grady Johnson doubled to right field for the Tigers in the bottom of the eighth, and he advanced to third on a groundout. Louis Florida and Nate Hulen would then hit back-to-back home runs, which tied the game at five runs apiece. With momentum on DePauw's side, Tyler Walkey opened the bottom of the ninth with a double to right center. He scored the final run to secure the 6-5 win on an RBI single by Howard down the left field line.
The Fightin' Engineers will return home for a three-game series with Mt. St. Joseph. The series will begin with a double header on Saturday, April 11, at 1 and 4 PM, and conclude on Senior Day, Sunday, April 12, at 12 PM.
