TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology relied on a three-hit shutout from junior R.J. Carroll (Lexington, Ky./Catholic) to earn a split of a home opening baseball doubleheader on Friday night at Art Nehf Field.
Carroll tossed a three-hit shutout in a 1-0 win over 2013 NCAA Division III Tournament team Illinois Wesleyan University in the second game of the day. He allowed just three singles and only one hit after the third inning.
Carroll tossed the complete game shutout with eight strikeouts and no walks. He lowered his season earned run average to 2.12 in the effort.
Rose-Hulman scored its lone run in dramatic fashion. Sophomore Patrick Klima (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph) opened the fifth inning with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice. Klima then stole home on an attempted suicide squeeze on a pitch off the plate.
Klima led the offense with a double, a single, two stolen bases and the lone run scored.
In the opener, Concordia Chicago and Rose-Hulman battled in a tight pitching duel, before the visiting Cougars pulled away to earn a 7-0 victory.
Sophomore Andrew Stull (Sammamish, Wash.) tossed seven innings without allowing an earned run to keep the Fightin' Engineers within striking distance in game one. Stull allowed just five hits with eight strikeouts, allowing just three unearned runs in the second inning.
Concordia Chicago pulled away with four runs in the ninth inning to secure the final margin of victory. Carlos Olavarria led the Cougars with two hits and two RBIs, including a double.
Offensively, sophomore Caleb Kissel (Plainfield, Ill.) had two singles to lead the Rose-Hulman attack. The Fightin' Engineers loaded the bases in the fifth inning, before Ryan Thorsen pitched his way out of the jam.
Thorsen tossed eight shutout innings with nine strikeouts to lead the Concordia pitching effort. Steve Cox tossed a scoreless ninth in the combined shutout.
Rose-Hulman stands 4-4 on the season and returns to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday against Alma. The Rose-Hulman Invitational also includes games between Illinois Wesleyan and Concordia at 10 a.m.; Concordia and Carthage at 4 p.m.; and Carthage and Alma at 7 p.m. on Saturday.