By: Takayla Gadberry, sports information alumna

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Bluffton University baseball team secured a thrilling 17-13 victory over Hiram on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The Beavers improved to 2-3 on the season following the win. 

Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) smashed a bomb over the left field fence for a two-run homer and a 2-0 Bluffton lead early in the first. Hiram tied it up 2-2 in the bottom of frame one but seven unanswered Beaver runs, highlighted by a three-run Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) long ball, gave Bluffton a 9-2 lead in the middle of the fourth. Four more runs in the fifth for the good guys pushed their spread to 13-3, but 10 straight tallies by the Terriers knotted it up at 13 apiece after seven innings. 

Maurer hit another long shot in the eighth to give Bluffton a 14-13 lead. Grant Hovest (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf), Ezra Deitering (Ottawa/Miller City) and freshman Tyler Fuller (Lewis Center/Orange) all crossed home in the ninth to secure the 17-13 victory for the Beavers. Jack Towell (Batavia) lifted a sacrifice fly to right and Jake Baumgartner capped the 17-run explosion with a two-run single.

Maurer had a day, powering the Bluffton offense with four runs, four hits, five RBI and two dingers! Fuller equaled the school record with five hits! He also scored three runs and drove in three. Baumgartner smacked it around with four safeties as well. He drove in five runs and Deitering crossed the dish three times.

Jacob Boelkens (Millbury/Lake) started on the mound, allowing six runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work. He walked five and struck out two. Nathan Young (Copley) got the win, giving up no runs on one hit in 0.2 innings of work. Jaden Jacques (New Palestine, IN) earned the save after tossing two scoreless frames to close out the victory. He did not allow a hit and struck out two Terriers. 

Bluffton will be back in action on Thursday, March 7, when they face off against Hiram again. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. Go Beavers!

-BEAVERS-