March 5, 2018
By: Colton Steiner, sports information assistant
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The Bluffton University baseball team took the field to face off against the Moravian College Greyhounds and the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets on a warm Monday, March 5. After knocking off Moravian 11-9 thanks to a JACK BONDY (Avon) save, Bluffton took their first loss of the season despite a thrilling comeback attempt against the Yellow Jackets as they fell, 17-16, after equaling the 1973 and 2017 squads for the most wins to start a season without a loss.
The Beavers were the first one to strike after scoring a run in the third inning. Following a quiet fourth, the Greyhounds would explode for six runs in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead. Bluffton answered with a pair in the bottom of the inning but still trailed 6-3.
Moravian added a run in the top of the sixth, but REID MAUS (Hamilton/Badin) and JACOB LATKOFSKY (Temperance, MIch./Ida) picked up RBI singles in the three-run bottom that cut the gap to 7-6 in favor of the Greyhounds. The Beavers took advantage of a couple of Moravian miscues and scored four runs on four hits to jump ahead 10-7 with their first lead since 1-0.
Two Greyhound tallies in the eighth made it a one-run ballgame but a RYAN GOLDEN (Findlay) RBI single put Bluffton in the driver's seat, 11-9. Jack Bondy allowed one hit in the ninth but wouldn't let Moravian gain any momentum as the Beavers marched to victory with an 11-9 win over the Greyhounds!
Leading the charge at the plate, COLIN GREGORY (Fremont/Clyde) and Ryan Golden each went 2-for-5 while also rounding the bases twice. Reid Maus would connect on two hits to along with his two RBIs and Reid Ruhl drove in four for the victors.
Picking up the W on the hill was MIKE AMAN (Dublin/Coffman) who notched his first win of the 2018 campaign (1-0), going 2.1 innings and allowing only one run off three hits. In his 1.1 innings of work, Jack Bondy nailed down his second save of the season, giving up only one hit and fanning a pair of batters.
As the second game of the afternoon got underway, the Yellow Jackets crushed a pair of homers in the first inning to get the contest started. They would then extend their 5-0 advantage over Bluffton to 8-0 after the second. Baldwin Wallace continued to add to their score each inning but four runs in both the fifth and sixth cut the Yellow Jacket lead to 15-10.
The Beavers headed to the eighth inning trailing 16-10, but there was still plenty of fight in the feisty Bluffton crew. An error by Baldwin Wallace got the scoring rally started. Colin Gregory plated REID RUHL (Hamilton) before RYAN GOLDEN (Findlay) and Jacob Latkofsky each smacked two-run singles as the Beavers knotted the game up at 16-16. Unable to score with bases loaded in the ninth, a walk-off single sent the game-winning run home for Baldwin Wallace as the thrilling comeback was thwarted and Bluffton suffered its first defeat of the season.
Senior Colin Gregory had himself a game as he went 4-for-6, crossing home plate three times as well as collecting three RBI. Also contributing for Bluffton was PARKER REYNOLDS (Avon) who connected for three hits and accounted for two runs while Reid Ruhl drove in a team-high four RBI.
A plethora of Bluffton pitchers would take to the mound but DANTE D'ANDREA (Westerville/North) was saddled with the loss as the junior went 1.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two batters but also walking a pair.
Bluffton will be back in action on Tuesday, March 6, starting at 3 p.m. to challenge the Pitt-Bradford Panthers with hopes of picking up another victory. You can keep up to date on all the happenings down in Florida on Twitter @Bluffton_sports and on www.bluffton.edu/athletics.
-BEAVERS-