SAUGET, Ill.-- Rose-Hulman (30-11 overall) defeated No. 16/19 Wartburg (33-12) 7-2 Wednesday in the opening round of the NCAA Regionals at GCS Ballpark. The game was scoreless until the third when the Fightin' Engineers scored on an RBI groundout to take the early 1-0 lead.

The Knights evened it in their fourth as senior Ryan Kemp (Keokuk) was hit by a pitch, stole second and then scored on classmate Milton Croes' (Noord, Aruba) single.

Rose-Hulman regained the lead at 2-1 in the seventh on single to shallow right. The Fightin' Engineers used a four-run eighth inning and added their final run in the ninth to make it 7-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, junior Jacob Thumann (DeWitt) hit a leadoff single. Kemp doubled to move Thumann to third and Croes brought him in on his sacrifice fly for the final run for the Orange and Black.

Thumann went 2-4 with a run scored and increased his hitting streak to 13 games and has reached base safely in the last 17, both mark season-longs. Senior Tyler Willis (Waverly) has reached base in the last 14 contests.

Wartburg will face Westminster (Mo.) Thursday at noon in an elimination game.