WESTFIELD, Indiana -- The No. 8 Heidelberg University baseball team wrapped up the Crossroads Crossover with a Sunday split. HU dropped the opener to Franklin, 11-5, then blanked Manchester, 3-0.
Heidelberg moved to 2-3 on the season.
FRANKLIN 11 HEIDELBERG 5
The top of the first was less than ideal for the Student Princes. The Grizzlies scored six unearned runs on three hits, aided by a pair of Heidelberg errors.
Heidelberg got one back in the bottom of the frame.
Kyle Jenkins was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a double by
Eric DeVore.
Marc Ochoa drove in Jenkins with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Student Princes cut into the deficit in the fourth.
Zach Doran struck out, but reached on a passed ball.
Elliot Kurtz singled and
Robert Hunt walked to load the bases. Jenkins followed with a first-pitch single through the left side, plating Doran and Kurtz.
Adkins (1-1), who seemed to settle in after a 6-4-3 double play in the top of the second, fought his way through four innings. He gave up four hits and walked three, but all six runs against were unearned.
The Grizzlies hit a pair of home runs off of reliever
Ryan Keane, taking a 9-3 lead in the seventh.
The Berg got one back in the bottom of the seventh. Ochoa drew a four-pitch walk then hustled to third on a base hit by
Chris Bell. He would score on a sacrifice fly by Doran.
Another sac fly in the eighth -- this one of the bat of DeVore -- brought HU to within four at 9-5.
The Grizzlies tacked on a two-run homer off of
Ridge Clark in the ninth.
Franklin's Mitch Merica (2-0) picked up the win, throwing five innings and giving up seven hits. Their offense was led by Ryan Bixler, who hit two home runs and had four RBI and three runs scored.
HEIDELBERG 3 MANCHESTER 0
Doubles by Hunt and
Jake Vanek in the third and fourth went for naught as the Student Princes were unable to produce runs.
In the top of the seventh, Kurtz slapped a single to right and moved to second on a ground out. With two outs, Hunt sent a single into center, plating Kurtz for the first run of the game.
Meanwhile, starter
Tristan Phillips was dazzling. In the seventh, however, Zaine Young tripled to the gap in right center. Phillips got a fly out, a strike out and a ground out to strand Young at third. The senior lefty gave a hearty fist pump as he ran to the third base dugout.
Phillips (1-0), whose previous career high in strikeouts was four, fanned 10 Spartans in seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits.
Emboldened by the ability of Phillips to wriggle off the hook, Heidelberg added two insurance runs in the top of the eighth.
Keaton Mark tripled down the right field line and scored on double off the fence in left by DeVore. With two outs, Vanek laced a single up the middle, scoring DeVore.
Cameron Deemer relieved Phillips to start the eighth and held the Spartans scoreless. He picked up his second save of the season, striking out four.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
Kurtz had three hits on the day, one of six Student Princes with multi-hit days.
DeVore now has four doubles on the season.
The shutout was HU's first since the 10-0 win over Ohio Northern in the OAC Tournament -- a complete game by Phillips.
UP NEXT:
Heidelberg heads to Florida on Thursday and opens up play at the Snowbird Classic with a game on Friday against Misericordia.
Complimentary live stats and audio will be provided for each varsity game.
