TERRE HAUTE, IND. – Sophomore left fielder Eric Knepper (Bremen, Ind.) clouted a run-scoring double in the third inning, and he and fellow sophomore Hunter Lane (Nappanee, Ind.) turned in two-hit evenings at Rose-Hulman's Art Nehf Field Thursday, May 12.

Knepper's shot down the left field line helped spark a two-run rally by the fourth-seeded Spartans, trimming a once 5-0 deficit to 5-2. However, the top-seeded Fightin' Engineers offense and a sparkling starting pitching effort from Alec McNally proved too much in the end, as the home side rolled to a 14-2 victory during day one of the 2016 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships.

Junior right-hander Cory Ferguson (Fort Wayne, Ind.) did his level best to keep pace with McNally's red-hot pitching, striking out three over five innings. Rose-Hulman managed just one earned run during his tenure, but a rough fielding night for the Spartans proved pivotal early, aiding in a five-run first and three-run third inning outburst.

Manchester University resumes play in the championships Friday, May 13, taking on second-seeded Transylvania University in a 3:30 p.m. elimination game. A win would advance them into a 7 p.m. contest against the loser of the 12 p.m. winner's bracket battle between Earlham and Rose-Hulman.