TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Franklin College shut out Anderson 3-0 in today's opening contest of the 2012 Heartland Conference Baseball Championship Tournament at Rose-Hulman's Art Nehf Field.
The second-seeded and defending tourney champion Grizzlies (31-9) advanced and will play either host Rose-Hulman or Manchester in Friday's winners' bracket game, which is scheduled for noon.
Senior pitcher Nathan Ellis worked all nine innings for FC, but had to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to wrap the contest, which took less than two hours to complete.
Ellis beat the Ravens in a complete-game shut-out effort for the second time in six days, improving to 9-2. The reigning HCAC Pitcher of the Week limited third-seeded Anderson (25-16) to three hits, allowing no walks and chalking up four strikeouts.
Franklin took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when junior shortstop Nick Stoia singled in a run.
The Grizzlies scored again in the seventh when senior outfielder Kevin Entwistle scampered home from third base on a wild pitch by AU's Dan Schmitz. FC added another insurance run in the eighth inning when senior third baseman Jordon Klinedinst brought in Stoia with a sacrifice bunt.
The Grizzlies totaled six hits to Anderson's three. The Ravens fell in a HCAC Tournament contest for the seventh straight time, dating back to the 2009 tourney at Franklin.