NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - The Bluffton University baseball team dropped its fifth straight decision, 11-8, at Manchester University on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Bluffton fell to 1-9 on the season, while the Spartans improved to 4-7 overall and in the conference.
Jacob Latkofsky (Temperance, MI/Ida) singled home fellow senior Reid Ruhl (Hamilton) for a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. But as has been the script too many times already this season, the Beavers gave up five runs in the bottom half of the frame when Manchester cashed in thanks to six hits in the inning.
A two-out solo shot by Garrett O'Reilly (Galena/Orange) in the fourth made it 5-2 before the team struck with two more tallies in the bottom of the inning for a 7-2 spread. O'Reilly and Adam Duncan (Northwood/Lake) laced RBI singles in the sixth and Parker Reynolds (Avon) picked up Ruhl with a sacrifice fly to left an inning later as Bluffton pulled within three runs (8-5) heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
Manchester added three crucial insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh thanks to consecutive doubles by Henschel and Pelt, opening an 11-5 lead that held up when the Bluffton's three-run response in the eighth fell short. O'Reilly and Duncan crossed the dish before freshman Kenny Schneider (Sunbury/Big Walnut) lifted a sacrifice fly to center that picked up Jeff Strayer (Columbus/Thomas Worthington), ending the Bluffton scoring in the eighth inning.
A two-out single by Lenny Winiarski (Cincinnati/LaSalle) was all Bluffton could muster in the ninth as Manchester held on for the 11-8 victory.
O'Reilly and Duncan both sprayed it around with three knocks. Ruhl and O'Reilly, who drove in two runs, each scored twice. Freshman Sean Brock (Wauseon) took the loss after surrendering five runs on six hits while recording just one out in the third inning. Junior Jacob Boelkens (Millbury/Lake) tossed two innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit with two strikeouts.
Bluffton will get back on the horse Saturday with a trip to Hanover College. Game one of the HCAC doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. The Beavers will return to Memorial Field for a pair of games against Franklin College on Sunday, March 28.
-BEAVERS-