ANDERSON, IND. – An RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore designated hitter Lucas Gramman (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) and sophomore third baseman Hunter Lane (Nappanee, Ind.) scooting home on a wild pitch sent Manchester University past Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Anderson University Tuesday, May 2.
Gramman, who had another productive effort at the plate for the Black and Gold (21-15 overall, 15-8 HCAC), ripped one of three two-baggers for the Spartans as part of a multiple-hit contest. However, a non at-bat he registered plated the eventual winning run in the sixth, as he lofted a fly ball to left field with the bases loaded to score senior shortstop Sean Knepper (Bremen, Ind.). MU, closing out a season sweep of their perennial rivals, added an insurance tally in the ninth when Lane singled, Gramman powered a double down the left field line and two batters later, a wild pitch was uncorked to plate Lane.
The two scores were more than enough to bolster a glittering combined six-hit shutout from junior Cory Ferguson (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and sophomore Taylor Kopplin (Westport, Ind.). Ferguson, moving his record to 3-2, allowed only six hits, five of them singles, over eight innings, while Kopplin came out of the bullpen in the eighth and was rock solid, picking up his second save, with a pair of clean frames.
The Spartans close out the 2016 regular season Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, hosting Franklin College. Game times are 4:15 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. Saturday at Gratz Field.
NOTES: The victory resumed an impressive late-season roll for the Spartans, as they've won six of their last eight … Gramman has been a tough riddle for opposing pitchers to solve. Since he stepped into the DH duties in early April, he's hit safely in all eight of his appearances with four multiple-hit efforts. His batting average, going into the final weekend of the regular season, is a meteoric .419.