By: Ezra Deitering, sports information assistant

 

RICHMOND, Indiana - The Beavers headed to Richmond, Ind., to take on the Earlham College Quakers in a double header on a beautiful Saturday, March 13, 2021. Earlham took game one by an 8-1 count before Bluffton secured a split with a 5-2 win in game two. Bluffton moved to 1-4 (1-4 HCAC) on the season, while Earlham stands 5-1 following it first loss of 2021. 

 

In game one, Senior, Garrett O'Reilly (Galena/Orange) was on the hill for the Beavers while Joey Gerbus toed the rubber for the Quakers.  

 

The Beavers threatened early in the first as senior Jacob Latkofsky (Temperance, MI/Ida) roped a double to the gap in left center, but the Beaver bats were unable to bring him home.

 

Earlham opened up the scoring in the third when Embry doubled and Lancianese singled. Embry then scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaiah Shake.

 

In the bottom of the fourth, Brian Pincura tripled down the right field line scoring Austin Hatfield and Danny Dopp. Shake picked up Nathan Lancianese with a sacrifice fly an inning later to make 4-0 Quakers. Robby Shondel singled home Brian Pincura in the bottom of the 6th before Nathan Lancianese smashed a triple in the left field gap, scoring Embry and Shondel. After six innings, the Quakers held a commanding 7-0 lead over the Beavers. 

 

The Beaver lineup hit the ball well all day, putting runners in scoring position, but couldn't deliver a a significant blow with runners on base. That changed in the top of the eighth inning when senior Lenny Winiarski (Cincinnait/LaSalle) tripled and then scored on a wild pitch. Earlham responded in the bottom half thanks to a Nathan Lancianese single which picked up James Grace.  

 

O'Reilly was tagged with the loss for Bluffton. He worked five innings, giving up four earned runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeoouts.

 

Jaden Jaques (New Palestine, IN) worked two innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits. Fellow sophomore Jacob Boelkens (Millbury/Lake) worked the top of the 8th, giving up one run on one hit with a walk. He also struck out two Quakers.  

 

Joey Gerbus worked eight strong innings, giving up one run on seven hits with two walks. Gerbus also fanned eight Bluffton batters on his way to earning victory number three on the season.

 

Winiarski was 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored while Latkofsky chipped in with a two-bagger.

 

Bluffton bounced back quickly with four runs in the top of the first to start game two. An O'Reilly double down the left field line plated Reid Ruhl (Hamilton) and Latkofsky. Jack Towell (Batavia) scored on a wild pitch and O'Reilly crossed the dish on Kenny Schneider's (Sunbury/Big Walnut) ground ball.

 

Earlham tried to claw back with single tallies in the third and fourth, but Tommy Siemer (Liberty Township/Lakota East) continued to deal, keeping the Quakers off the scoreboard in innings five, six and seven.

 

The visitors tacked on an insurance run in the ninth thanks to a walk to Rogan, base hit by Ruhl and fielding error in the Quaker outfield. Junior Jacob Daulton (Batavia) shut down Earlham in the eighth and ninth for his first career save.

 

Siemer earned the victory, allowing just two runs on five hits in seven superb innings of work. He fanned seven and did not issue a free pass.

 

Ruhl and O'Reilly paced the Bluffton offense with three hits apiece. O'Reilly drove in two runs for the Beavers.

 

Bluffton will return to action when the Beavers welcome Rose-Hulman for the home opener on Saturday, March 20. The first game has been moved up and will start at 12 p.m.

 

-BEAVERS-