March 25, 2018
By: Colton Steiner, sports information assistant
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team would hit the road to face off against the Wittenberg University Tigers on a breezy Sunday, March 25. The Beavers used some late-game heroics to secure the daily sweep, improving to 11-6 on the season.
Bluffton jumped on the board in the top of the third after two errors by the Tigers plated two runs and an RBI double by COLIN GREGORY (Fremont/Clyde) picked up another as the Beavers took a 3-0 lead. The home team responded with five consecutive runs through the middle innings to take a 5-3 advantage heading into the top of the seventh.
A JON DOERING (Constantine, Mich./Constantine) RBI single ended the drought for Bluffton, cutting the gap to one run. The Beavers took a 6-5 lead following a Colin Gregory double that scored a pair. Freshman LENNY WINIARSKI (Cincinnati/LaSalle) drew a bases-loaded walk, pushing Gregory across the dish as the Beavers extended their lead to 7-5.
Gregory was the lone Beaver with multiple hits in the outing. He also scored twice and drove in three runs. GARRETT O'REILLY (Galena/Orange) and Reid Ruhl (Hamilton) each scored a pair of runs for the victors.
After a short break, a Colin Gregory solo blast put the Beavers up 1-0 in the top of the first. Bluffton then erupted for three runs in the fifth inning thanks to a two-run double by REID MAUS (Hamilton/Badin) and a sacrifice fly by Lenny Winiarski as the visitors opened a 4-0 advantage.
Both teams were scoreless in the sixth but two runs in the seventh and two more tallies in the eighth by Wittenberg tied the game up at 4-4. That held until the top of the 11th when Bluffton took a 5-4 lead after ALEX LEMANSKI (Miamisburg) singled home freshman JACOB LATKOFSKY (Temperance, Mich./Ida) for what turned out to be the game-winning run. The Beaver defense did its job in the bottom of the inning as Bluffton capped the sweep with a thrilling 5-4 victory.
Reid Maus had himself a day at the plate, smacking four hits to go along with a pair of RBI in game two. Also doing solid work with the stick was Colin Gregory with three hits and two runs scored. Alex Lemanski went 2-for-2 as a late-game replacement, including the go-ahead RBI in the 11th!
Sealing his second victory on the hill was Mike Aman (Dublin/Coffman) as he improved to 2-0 on the season. Aman allowed no runs on only one hit. COLBY CLIFTON (Ohio City/Crestview) struck out five batters in his 6.2 innings of work.
Bluffton is back on its home turf to face off against Capital University at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27. Come out and support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-