LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University baseball team fell behind in the first inning and never recovered as top-seeded Transylvania downed the Beavers 20-3 on Thursday, May 20, 2021. Bluffton slipped to 19-23 on the season, while the Pioneers improved to 29-10.
Just a few short hours after Bluffton became the first #5 seed in conference history to win a game in the double-elimination tournament, Transy put an end to any thoughts of a 2-0 day for the Beavers. The home team scored four quick runs in the bottom of the first and following a Jacob Latkofsky (Temperence, Mich./Ida) sacrifice fly in the third, the Pioneers put the game out of reach with eight tallies over the next three frames en route to a commanding 12-1 lead after six innings.
Latkofsky and Jaxon Rogan (Marysville) plated runs in the seventh, but Transylvania exploded for seven more in the bottom half thanks to four hits, three free passes and a hit batter. The Pioneers added a final score in the eighth as they wrapped up a 20-3 victory on Thursday night.
Rogan and Brandon Wilson (Casstown/Miami East) both rapped two hits in the 6 p.m. contest. Latkofsky drove in a pair of runs and Rogan scored twice.
Senior Tommy Siemer (Liberty Township/Lakota East) fell to 5-4 on the season after surrendering eight runs on six hits in four innings of work. He struck out one and walked three Pioneers.
Bluffton will meet the Franklin College-Anderson University winner at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 21. The Grizzlies play the Ravens in a win or go home game at 10:30 a.m. with Transylvania and Earlham matching up in the winner's bracket at 2 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
