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Box Score 3 NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – It was a script made for Senior Weekend 2016.
With the Spartans looking to gain some momentum going into the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship after a pair of defeats at the hands of a red-hot Franklin College offense Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8, head coach Rick Espeset's squad stood three outs shy of an 8-7 loss that could have ended the program's annual celebration of its fourth-year players on a sour note due to three straight losses.
However, MU's veteran skipper had a feeling.
"When I went out and talked with (sophomore relief pitcher Garrett) Phelps (of Covington, Ind.) in the top of the 10th after Franklin had rallied for a lead, it was tough on him, but I just said 'Hey, we're still in this. (Senior catcher) Elliott (Ford of Rome City, Ind.) is coming up and then we have the top of the order after that,' " he remarked.
After Phelps kept a potential Grizzlies' insurance tally in scoring position with a fly out, the Black and Gold offense went into high gear. Ford took a 1-1 pitch from FC sophomore reliever Mitch Caster and drove it high and deep over the right field fence for an 8-8 tie. As the crowd at Gratz Field continued to buzz with joy, senior designated hitter Nick Latham (LaPorte, Ind.) worked a walk and advanced to third behind a sacrifice bunt from junior outfielder Chad Schultz (Fair Oaks, Ind.) and a wild pitch a batter later. With two outs, enter sophomore outfielder Eric Knepper (Bremen, Ind.) who took an 0-2 pitch and lined it into left center field, plating Latham with the winning run in a 9-8 extra-inning decision.
The win locked up a tie for third for Manchester University on the league standings at 22-17 overall and 16-10 in the HCAC. It also took away some of the sting of 18-8 and 6-1 visiting side victories that started the set.
Despite the series defeat, there were plenty of highlights for Manchester University. Schultz, senior shortstop Sean Knepper (Bremen, Ind.), Ford, and junior first baseman Tailur Szarenski (Bluffton, Ind.) all registered five hits. Ford's line included a pair of home runs, five RBI, a .417 batting average and .917 slugging percentage.
NOTES: MU, joining the conference's postseason tournament final four for the 19th time in the last 21 seasons, takes the fourth seed into the 2016 edition Thursday – Saturday, May 12-14, at Rose-Hulman's Art Nehf Field. The Spartans face off against the top seed and tourney host Fightin' Engineers Thursday at 7 p. m. in the second of two day one games.
