KOKOMO, Ind. – The #3 Fightin' Engineers have advanced in the HCAC Tournament as they took down the #5 Anderson Ravens by a score of 7-3.
Gavin Drooger got off to a hot start on the mound as he struck out all three batters he faced in the second inning. He did not allow a hit across the first three innings, and he finished the game with six strikeouts across 4.2 innings.
Connor Smith recorded Rose-Hulman's first hit of the game as he hit a double off the center field wall in the third inning.
TJ Pipkins put Rose-Hulman ahead to lead off the fourth, as he cracked a solo home run out to right field.
Jackson Harms would add a solo home run of his own three batters later, with a no-doubt solo shot over the left field wall.
The Ravens would rally back with three doubles in the bottom of the fourth, where they were able to score multiple runs, tying the game at 2-2. Coming off a ninth inning game-winning home run in Anderson's HCAC Tournament Opener, Ben Brown hit another home run, which put the Ravens ahead 3-2.
Early in the top of the seventh,
Sam Erickson posted a single to second base. He would score the game-tying run on an RBI double off the right-center field wall from
Jackson Summers.
Connor O'Connell and
Michael Hines each drew walks in the eighth inning. With two outs, Erickson brought both runners home with a two RBI double on a high fly ball near the left field foul line. Summers added to the lead with his second RBI of the game, on a single to left field, where Erickson's run put Rose-Hulman ahead 6-3.
With a runner on in the bottom of the eighth,
Tyler Orr forced a strikeout to cap off the inning.
Pipkins led off the ninth by singling to second base, before scoring on an RBI triple to deep left center field from O'Connell.
Orr recorded his third strikeout of the game in the bottom of the ninth, and he forced consecutive fly outs as the Fightin' Engineers achieved the 7-3 victory.
Rose-Hulman will continue the HCAC Tournament against #4 Hanover tomorrow, Saturday, May 9, at 10 AM.
