Jay's Byrum throwing well (04/03/04)

Pete Byrum has been excellent on the mound, even if the results haven’t always backed it up.

Byrum, a Jay County graduate, has been one of the top pitchers this season for the Indiana Tech baseball team. He threw well in each of his last two starts, finishing with a shutout win and a heartbreaking loss.

His victory came Saturday, March 20 as he completely baffled the St. Francis (Illinois) batters. The Warriors (8-12) scored an 11-0 win as he tossed a one-hit shutout while striking out four batters in five innings of work.

Byrum had another good outing against Spalding a week later, but couldn’t hold on for the victory. Despite allowing just two earned runs in 61/3 innings he took the loss when Spalding scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh.

He finished the contest allowing eight hits and striking out two batters.

Despite a 1-2 record, the senior has the second best ERA on the team at 1.77. He has appeared in four games — three starts — and struck out 14 batters with just one walk in 201/3 innings.

Nussbaum gathers first win

Zack Nussbaum picked up his first career win recently for the Bluffton College men’s tennis team, otherwise known as “South Adams East.” Four of the Beavers’ six varsity tennis players are South Adams graduates with Nussbaum joining fellow sophomore Pete Martin and seniors Brad Boyles and Kyle Sprunger.

Nussbaum’s first win came in just his third collegiate match as he scored a 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 6 singles in a 9-0 destruction of Tiffin Tuesday. Boyles won at No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-0, Sprunger was victorious at No. 4 singles 6-1, 6-3 and Martin grabbed a forfeit win at No. 5 singles.

Nussbaum and Martin also teamed for an 8-1 win at No. 3 doubles, and Boyles and Sprunger matched that score in a victory at No. 2 doubles.

The former Starfires also led a 6-3 victory over Defiance College Friday.

Boyles took the win at No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-3, Sprunger rallied at No. 4 singles 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 and Martin battled to a 6-4, 6-3 triumph at No. 5 singles. Boyles and Sprunger dominated in No. 2 doubles action for an 8-1 win.

Nichols showing power

Goshen was more than aware of Carrie Nichols’ power by the end of its double-header against St. Francis Saturday, March 27.

The South Adams graduate went wild for six RBIs in the 11-3 and 8-0 Cougar wins. Former Starfire Amanda Minch and Fort Recovery graduate Sarah Schmitz have also played key roles for St. Francis (15-13).

Nichols’ biggest blast came in the second contest as she hammered a grand slam in support of a no-hitter by fellow freshman Christie Myers. She also had a two-run homer as she went 2-for-3 while adding a double and a pair of runs in the first game.

Minch was also 2-for-3 in the first game with a double and a couple of runs scored. She had a double and an RBI in the second game.

Schmitz, a freshman, added a game-one RBI.

Minch followed with an outstanding 3-for-3 effort in the second game of a double-header against Bethel Tuesday. She also had a two-run double in a 4-3 win over Huntington Tuesday, March 23.

Nichols added a run-scoring single.

Schmitz had a single and scored a run in the first game of the double-header against Huntington, a 4-2 victory for the Cougars.

Starfires shine

South Adams graduates Steph Welch and Jason Lehman were awesome, each contributing to three victories as the Bluffton College track teams defeated Defiance and Manchester Tuesday, March 23.

The women’s team scored 154.5 points, with Defiance in second at 121.5 and Manchester a distant third with 36. The Bluffton men had 161 points, compared to 84 for Defiance and 61 for Manchester.

Welch rolled to her lone individual win in the 400-meter dash, finishing in 1-minute, 4.92 seconds. She also teamed with Rita Muether, Kirstie Dravenstott and Jana Hammer to take the 4x400-meter relay in 4:20.71, and joined Lindsay Bryant, Rachel Noirot and Carrie Hudececk for a winning time of 11:26.98 in the 4x800-meter relay.

She was also third in the long jump with a leap of 4.60 meters.

Freshman Jenny Lehman, another South Adams graduate, added a victory for the Beavers in the 100-meter hurdles in 17.44. She joined Cindy Allen, Hammer and Muether to win the 4x100-meter relay in 51.57.

She was also third in the 100-meter dash in 14.99 and seventh in the long jump at 4.00 meters.

Jason Lehman won the 300-meter hurdles in 41.59, and was second in the long jump at 5.79 meters. He teamed with Al Pearson, Aaron Williams and Ryan Nussbaum for a win in the 4x100-meter relay in 4.46, and joined Pearson, Shandon North and Colby Bright to take the 4x400-meter relay in 3:32.97.

Welch followed the effort with a third-place finish in the long jump at 4.66 meters as the Bluffton women finished second at the Tiffin Open Saturday, March 27. She was also sixth in the high jump at 1.7 meters.

Former Starfire Amanda Habegger matched Welch at Tiffin with a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.43. Jenny Lehman was fifth in 17.35.

Habegger also placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:07.64, and was fourth in the pole vault at 2.43 meters. Jenny Lehman was sixth in the 100-meter dash in 14.49.

The Bluffton men’s team was also third at Tiffin with Jason Lehman finishing 13th in the long jump at 5.83 meters.

Welch also posted the top finish for the Beavers at the Vanderbilt Spring Classic as she came in fourth in the high jump at 1.47 meters.

Habegger was eighth in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.21, and Jenny Lehman trailed in 12th in 17.26. Jason Lehman was 10th in the 110-meter hurdles in 17.04.

Alberson rolling

The Bluffton College baseball team has slipped to 4-14, but Kyle Alberson is still among its most productive players.

The senior and South Adams graduate leads the team with five home runs and 19 RBIs. He is second on the team with a .304 batting average, a .543 slugging percentage, a .391 on base percentage and 12 runs scored.[[In-content Ad]]