Box Score NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – As the calendar moves closer to the end of the 2015 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference campaign, Manchester University continues its hard charge up the standings.
The Spartans, bolting into a tie for third with Anderson University, used a strong starting pitching effort from senior Sean Liedtky (Walkerton, Ind.) and a pair of home runs from senior third baseman Jordan Nieman (Michigan City, Ind.) to top Defiance College 9-3 Wednesday, April 22. MU's fifth successive win left them 19-11 overall and 12-8 in the league and just a half-game behind second-place Rose-Hulman and only trailing league-leading Bluffton by a game.
Nieman rocketed a two-run round tripper to right center field in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 lead. The visiting Yellowjackets (14-15 overall, 9-11 HCAC) rallied with two scores in the third, but MU, to their home fans' delight at Gratz Field, posted what proved to be the game-winning tallies in the fourth on a wild pitch and RBI single from senior shortstop Trevor Kimm (Anderson, Ind.). Sophomore first baseman Tailur Szarenski (Bluffton, Ind.) clouted a two-run homer to right center field in the sixth, in nearly the same spot as Nieman's first rocket, while Nieman came back in the eighth, as part of a two-run rally, with his 10th home run of the season to help expand the Spartans' lead.
The nine-run, 17-hit outburst was more than enough for the pitching combination of Liedtky and fellow senior Justin Miller (Yorktown, Ind.), Liedtky, earning his sixth victory, gave up three runs, as he danced around 10 DC hits, allowed just one walk and struck out two in seven innings. Miller, who helped the offensive effort with three hits to join Kimm and Nieman for the top spot, fired two scoreless innings out of the bullpen with four strikeouts.
The Black and Gold look to extend their current skein Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25. Hanover College comes to North Manchester for a 4:15 p.m. single game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday that begins at 12 p.m.
NOTES: Miller's recent pitching run has seen him give up just one earned run over the last seven and a third innings … Nieman's big day at the plate saw him extend his current hit and on-base streaks to 31, while Szarenski pushed his on-base string to 32 successive contests … Fans, friends and alumni of Manchester University baseball are invited to join the Spartans this weekend to honor head coach Rick Espeset for recently gaining his 500th win. The 37th active head coach to join the exclusive club will be recognized during a brief pre-game ceremony and then with a post-game celebration Saturday.
