BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team downed rival Defiance College for the third time this season on a cold Thursday, April 15, 2021. With their third straight victory, Bluffton improved to 10-15 overall and in the Heartland Conference. Defiance fell to 5-19 overall and in the HCAC.
Defiance took advantage of two Beaver errors in the top of the first, plating three unearned runs before the home team took its first swings. However, Bluffton responded with four tallies in the bottom of the frame after two quick outs to open the inning. A Jeff Strayer (Columbus/Thomas Worthington) ground-rule double to right center plated Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) and Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) followed with a two-run single that picked up Strayer and Parker Reynolds (Avon). Adam Duncan's (Northwood/Lake) RBI double put Bluffton up 4-3 heading to the second inning.
Towell knocked in senior Reid Ruhl (Hamilton) with an RBI single in the second and Baumgartner crossed the plate in the third courtesy of a Defiance miscue. The floodgates opened in the fifth when Bluffton piled up seven runs despite getting just three hits. Three walks and a bevy of wild pitches helped the Beavers open a 13-3 spread. Ruhl smoked a two-run double just inside the third base bag and Towell lifted a sacrifice fly to left before a Reynolds base knock sent Ruhl across the dish for run number seven of the fifth inning.
Defiance took advantage of a Bluffton error in the sixth to curtail any notions of an early ending as the Yellow Jackets made it 13-6 thanks to three unearned runs. Innings eight and nine allowed Bluffton's pitching staff to get some extra work after needing just three hurlers for a pair of mercy-rule routs of MSJ on Monday night.
Jacob Boelkens (Millbury/Lake) improved to 2-2 while fanning six in five innings on the bump. He allowed three unearned runs on three hits with three walks. Spencer Garrison (West Salem/Northwestern) worked a perfect seventh as he, Jaden Jaques (New Palestine, IN), Jacob Daulton (Batavia) and Seth Evans (Ada/OSU-Lima) all tossed an inning on Thursday evening.
Baumgartner went 2-of-3 with three runs scored and two RBI. Ruhl and Towell each added two hits and two RBI. Strayer, Reynolds and Ruhl all crossed the dish two times.
Bluffton will be back at Memorial Field for a conference doubleheader with Earlham College on Saturday, April 17. Game one is slated to go off at noon, one hour than previously scheduled.
-BEAVERS-
