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Jeff Jenkins |
TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- Manchester College junior Zac Bireley blasted a pair of home runs and scored four times to lead the Spartans to a 10-5 victory over Adrian College in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional opener at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Wednesday. Bireley finished 3-3 with four runs and two RBIs, while Ryan Seal slapped a pair of hits to lead a 10-hit attack for Manchester. On the mound, junior Tyler Wolfe tossed a complete game seven-hitter to improve to 6-4 on the season. Wolfe allowed five runs in the first four innings, then shutout the Bulldogs offense for the final five frames. Isaiah Beckman led the Adrian offense with three doubles, while Chris Pappas scored twice and the duo of Todd Myers and Bobby Rickstad drove home two runs each. Adrian jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, courtesy of a walk to Ryan Sulek, a single by Chris Pappas and a sacrifice fly by Bobby Rickstad. Manchester scored five times in the second to earn a 5-1 advantage. George Mallett opened the frame with a hit by pitch, then Bireley drew a walk. Following a walk to Danner Partridge, catcher Michael Shearer walked to tie the score at 1-1. Seal continued the frame by reaching on a fielder's choice, due to a throwing error by Beckman. Matt Talarico slapped a two-run single to make the score 4-1, then a passed ball capped the rally. Adrian closed within 6-5 with a three-run fourth-inning rally. Beckman opened with a double to right center and scored on a ground out by Chad Baas. Luke Kettinger walked and Sulek slapped a single to keep the rally alive, then Todd Meyers crushed a two-run double to left center to cap the frame. Manchester added one run in the fifth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth to improve to 34-9 on the season. The Spartans square off with No. 1 seed Wooster at 8 p.m., while Adrian (25-16) returns to action at 8 p.m. on Thursday. |
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