CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team dropped a doubleheader at Mount St. Joseph on Sunday, March 7, 2021. MSJ came through with a run in the 10th before rolling to a 12-1 victory in the nightcap that required just six and a half innings. Bluffton falls to 0-3 (0-3 HCAC) on the season, while the Mount evened its mark at 2-2.

Bluffton took advantage of a leadoff error by the Lions in the top of the first when Garrett O'Reilly (Galena/Orange) grounded into a fielder's choice that plated Reid Ruhl (Hamilton) for a 1-0 lead. The Mount responded with two quick runs in the home half and they led 3-1 when a hit batter and walk helped the Lions push across a tally in the third frame.

Freshman Kenny Schneider (Sunbury/Big Walnut) doubled home Cale Sherbourne (Johnstown/Big Walnut) in the eighth, but MSJ answered with a run of its own in the bottom half for a 4-2 lead heading to the ninth inning.

With runners on second and third in the top of the ninth, senior Lenny Winiarski (Cincinnati/LaSalle) came through with a two-run single that knotted the score at 4-4. It was still tied heading to the bottom of the 10th when MSJ used a walk, a hit batter and an attempted sacrifice bunt that turned into a single to load the bases with no outs. Back-to-back forceouts at the plate gave the Beavers hope, but a Lawson single to right ended it with MSJ claiming a 5-4 walkoff victory.

Ruhl and junior Jeff Strayer (Columbus/Thomas Worthington) both finished with two hits in the opener and Winiarski had two ninth-inning RBI. Sophomore Jaden Jaques (New Palestine, IN) earned the start and went three innings, giving up three runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Seth Altman (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) worked five superb innings of relief, allowing just one unarned run with three strikeouts. Seth Evans (Ada/OSU-Lima) was saddled with the loss after giving up a run in the bottom of the 10th.

A Strayer groundout to third plated Winiarski in the second inning of game two, but MSJ scored in each of the first five frames en route to a mercy-rule 12-1 victory in the nightcap.

Bluffton managed just three hits as MSJ completed the sweep. Starter Eddie Budinski (Louisville) got through only two innings, giving up six runs on eight hits with two walks. Freshman Darius Boeke (Sidney) worked a scoreless sixth for the Beavers.

The Beavers head to Richmond, Ind., for a doubleheader next Saturday, March 13. The first game with Earlham is slated for 1 p.m.

-BEAVERS-