WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Capital University baseball team was in action Monday afternoon against the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology at the RussMatt Invitational. Despite combining for 11 hits and six runs, the Crusaders fell to the Fightin' Engineers 12-6.

The Fightin' Engineers got the scoring started with a three-run second inning.

The Crusader offense was out in full force today as two different Capital players hit home runs. The first homer came in the top of the third when junior Tyler Gibbons (Liberty Township, Ohio) led the inning off with a blast, the first of his career, cutting the Rose-Hulman lead to 3-1.

Rose-Hulman scored a run in the bottom of the third and  fourth innings, increasing its lead to 5-1.

The top of the sixth is when the excitement came for Capital. Logan Bastin (Manfield, Ohio) started the scoring with an RBI double that scored Alexander Smith and left a man on second and third. Justin Ennis drew a walk that loaded the bases for sophomore Daniel Walters (Concord, Ohio). Walter drove it to deep left center, over the wall for a grand slam, which also served as is first career home run. The slam gave the Crusaders their first lead of the game, 6-5.

The Fightin' Engineers tied the game in the bottom of the sixth before capitalizing on two walks, a wild pitch and a Capital error for six runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Crusaders left two men on in the top of the ninth, ending the game by a final score of 12-6.

Junior Brett Colburn (Liberty Township, Ohio) led Capital with a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a double and a run scored.

Senior Tyler Spears (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) had a solid start for the Crusaders when he struck out four, walked two and scattered six hits, all without surrendering an earned run. Sophomore Joseph Borkey (Kirtland Hills, Ohio) contributed with five strikeouts in relief, but picked up the loss.

Capital falls to 2-2 on the season, but look to bounce back Tuesday when they play St. Vincent College (Pa.) in Auburndale, Fla. at 2 p.m.