March 12, 2011

PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida - The Bluffton University baseball team relied on its second straight outstanding pitching effort as the Beavers shut down Muskingum by a 6-2 count on Saturday, March 12, 2011. Bluffton evened its record at 5-5, while the Fighting Muskies slipped to 3-6 on the season.

Muskingum plated single runs in the bottom of the first and the fourth before Bluffton got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning. Airic Steagall (Hillsboro) singled to start the frame. Two outs later, consective base hits by Kyle Niermann (Napoleon) and Miles Richardson (Granville/Newark Catholic) loaded the bases. Steagall crossed the plate thanks to a Muskingum wild pitch.

The Beavers tied the game at two when Josh Mendoza (Gibsonburg/Fremont Ross) plated Nick Broyles (Toledo/Whitmer) with an RBI single in the sixth. An inning later, Bluffton took the lead and never looked back. Richardson notched a one-out base knock and then stole second, one of five thefts on the day for Bluffton. Tyler Wright made it 3-2 with his run-scoring single.

A three-run ninth gave Bluffton a four-run cushion heading into Muskingum's final frame. Richardson again started the rally with a leadoff single. A pair of Muskingum errors allowed Richardson to cross the plate before Nick Broyles doubled home Wright and Tyler Stephenson (Springfield/Northwestern) for a 6-2 lead.

The Fighting Muskies loaded the sacks in the home half, but senior closer Adrian Fritch (Edon) induced a popup and lineout to end the game with  Bluffton standing at 5-5 on the season.

Richardson paced Bluffton with three hits and two runs scored. Wright, Broyles and Steagall all added two safeties with Broyles driving in a pair of runs. Kelly Barnes (Toledo/Christian) gave the Beavers a lock-down performance on the hill, allowing two runs, one earned, on just four hits in seven innings of work. Fritch and Tyler Gibson (Sylvania/Southview) combined for two shutout innings of relief in the Bluffton victory.

Bluffton hosts Oberlin College at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2011.

-BEAVERS-