Grizzlies tip Fightin' Engineers

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By Matt Muncy, April 18, 2009

“The goal is to be there at the end of the year. We have to stay focused each game and take it one inning and one pitch at a time,” said head coach Lance Marshall.

 

Rose-Hulman jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Grizzlies answered in the top of the second with a run off of an error.

 

The Fighting-Engineers scored in the bottom of the inning, taking back the lead at 2-1, only to see the Grizzlies tie it up again in the fourth.  Each team scored a run in the seventh to keep the game tied, 3-3.

 

The Grizzly offense took off in the final two innings, as it has in that past couple games. They scored two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to take an 8-3 lead. The Fighting Engineers were unable to get past sophomore pitcher Derrik Patterson and scored zero runs in the final two innings.

 

“The starting pitchers we face are good. We finally played through our opportunities late in the game and scored some runs,” Marshall said. “Our goal is to score in every inning and sometimes it doesn’t work.”

 

Junior Luke Mehringer – who started for the Grizzlies – earned his sixth win. He played seven innings, giving up four hits and three runs. He struck out seven batters and walked two. Patterson pitched two innings, giving up two hits and striking out two batters in his first save of the year.

 

Marshall said, “Patterson’s arm was fresh. Cody Nees was ill so we thought Derrik was the better option because he was 100 percent.”

 

The Grizzly offense was led by senior Joel Chrobak with two hits, including a solo home run. Senior Adam Blackburn, sophomore Alex Boone, and sophomore Matt Zmich all had two hits apiece.

 

Franklin College plays Transylvania University in a three-game series this weekend. There will be a double-header on Saturday starting at noon and a Sunday game at noon.