GAME 1 BOX SCORE; GAME 2 BOX SCORE
HANOVER,
IND. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology relied on a strong
pitching performance to sweep Hanover 2-0 and 10-0 in Heartland
Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball action on
Saturday.
The Fightin' Engineers moved within one victory of clinching a bid to next week's HCAC Tournament. The regular season concludes with a noon game on Sunday at Hanover.
Senior Nick Rumpke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming) (pictured) picked up his third straight victory in HCAC action with a complete-game three-hit shutout. Rumpke struck out seven and walked just two in the effort and has allowed just four runs in 23 innings over those three starts.
Offensively, Rose-Hulman scored both runs in the opening inning of game one. Junior Derek Dauenbaugh (Bloomington, Ill./University) doubled home senior Chris Stemple (Mount Vernon) with the first run, before sophomore Donald Stopka (Grayslake, Ill./Carmel Catholic) singled home Stemple with the second run.
Senior Michael Kovacs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) and Dauenbaugh led the offensive effort with two hits each in the opener.
In the nightcap, junior Jim Bob Schuler (Salem/North Harrison) tossed eight shutout innings in the nightcap, before freshman Kevin Farley (Centennial, Colo./Littleton) tossed a scoreless ninth. Schuler walked just one with four strikeouts to move to 6-2 on the season.
Offensively, Rose-Hulman scored six times in the top of the first inning to take control of the game. Dauenbaugh and Stopka again had RBI singles, before sophomore Bobby Newman (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) smashed a three-run, bases loaded double to make the score 5-0. Junior Will Burchett (Mokena, Ill./Providence Catholic) capped the scoring with another RBI single.
Stopka led the offensive effort with three hits, including a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Stemple, Zobrist, Kovacs and Dauenbaugh added two hits each in the 16-hit performance.
The Fightin' Engineers improved to 25-14 overall and 15-9 in HCAC play. Hanover stands 15-22 overall and 10-13 in league play. The series concludes with a single game on Sunday at noon.