Rose-Hulman Tops North Central in Extra Innings to Open NCAA Tournament

Release courtesy of Rose-Hulman

MOLINE, IL -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology scored one run in the 11th inning to capture a 5-4 victory over North Central College in round one of the NCAA Division III Baseball Central Regional at Augustana College on Wednesday. Box Score

With the victory, Rose-Hulman advances into the winner's bracket of the NCAA Central Regional.  The Fightin' Engineers will square off with Webster on Thursday at 8 p.m. Indiana time.

North Central rallied from a 4-2 deficit with two runs in the ninth inning to force extra frames.  The Fightin' Engineers responded with a key defensive play in the bottom of the 10th inning, then scored in the 11th to earn the win.

After Rose-Hulman was retired in three hitters in the 10th, Steve Hlavac singled to open the North Central frame.  Sophomore Ryan Fuller (Fort Wayne/Homestead) came into the game and immediately picked off Hlavac.  Fuller then retired the next two hitters to end the 10th frame.

In the 11th, senior Keenan Long (Park Ridge, Ill./Northwestern University) opened the inning with a single and advanced to third on a hit and run single by senior Kirk Thompson (Harrisburg, Ill.).  Senior Michael Kovacs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) gave Rose-Hulman the lead at 5-4 with a sacrifice fly to score Long.

Fuller retired the Cardinals in order in the 11th to advance Rose-Hulman into the winner's bracket of the double elimination tournament.  On the day, Fuller pitched two perfect innings to earn his first college win.

The day started with a strong pitching performance from senior Derek Eitel (Marshall, Ill.).  The staff ace scattered seven hits and left with a 4-2 lead after 7.1 innings of work.  Eitel recorded five strikeouts in the effort.

North Central answered with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 4-4.  The inning started with a walk by Peter Romanello, who advanced to second on a walk to Dan Scott.  Following a wild pitch, Matt Abraham grounded out to make the score 4-3.  With two outs and the tying run on third base, Michael Corrigan singled to force a 4-4 tie.  Senior Ben Stenger (Brookville/Franklin County) then retired Joe Turek on a ground out to force extra innings.

Offensively, Rose-Hulman scored three runs in the second to build the early lead.  Senior Tim Tepe (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) and Long slapped back-to-back singles and later scored on a line drive, two-run single by Kovacs.  Junior B.J. Zobrist (Eureka, Ill.) completed the scoring with an RBI single to plate Kovacs.

Long and Thompson led the offensive effort with three hits each, with Kovacs contributing three RBIs to the effort.  Sophomore Derek Dauenbaugh (Bloomington, Ill./University) added two hits, including an RBI double, and Zobrist also contributed two hits to the effort.  Junior Kreigh Williams (Ossian/Norwell) added two stolen bases to the attack.

Rose-Hulman improved to 30-12 to win its NCAA Division III Regional opener for the third consecutive year and clinch a 30-win season for the third straight year.  The effort marks the first time in school history that the Engineers have won 30 games in three straight years.