March 15, 2015

WESTFIELD, Ind. - The Bluffton University baseball team continued its winning ways with a pair of victories over rival Mennonite institution Goshen College on Sunday, March 15, 2015. The Beavers improved to 7-4 on the season following the wins at Greenfield, Ind., while Goshen fell to 2-10.

Bluffton broke through for two runs in the bottom of the third and game one starter Brad Schlabach (Fredericksburg/Hiland) did the rest, holding the Maple Leafs scoreless through six innings before handing the ball off to sophomore Taylor Gambrell (Bowling Green) who worked around a two-out single in the seventh for his second save of the season. Following back-to-back singles by Jeff Roth (Bellevue) and Luke Hickey (Toledo/Whitmer), senior Tyler Spalding (Willis, Mich./Lincoln) delivered the crucial hit, a two-run double that made the score 2-0.

Schlabach scattered eight hits over six innings, holding Goshen scoreless while not allowing a walk in improving to 2-0 on the season. Gambrell struck out two in the seventh to nail down Bluffton's sixth win of the year. Roth and T.J. Devore (Grove City) paced the Bluffton offense with two hits apiece.

In game two, Bluffton again scored early and made its lead hold up despite single tallies by the Maple Leafs in the third and fourth frames. Luke Hickey ripped a ground-rule double to kick off the second contest and two outs later, Jake Townley (Mansfield/Madison) picked him up with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.

The Beavers struck again an inning later when Cody Lehman (Hamilton) tripled and trotted home on Jeff Roth's base hit. Roth promptly stole second, moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt and made it 3-0 when he scored on a passed ball. Goshen made a game of it with tallies in the third and fourth, but freshman Garrett Siefer (Maumee) and Austin Every (Zanesville/West Muskingum) combined to allow just one hit over the final three innings to nail down a 3-2 victory and doubleheader sweep on Sunday evening.

Siefer earned his first collegiate victory while Every collected his second save of the season. Starter Kevin Every (Zanesville/West Muskingum) went three innings, allowing one run on three hits with three walks. Roth was 2-of-2, giving him four hits for the day.

Bluffton will look for its fifth straight win when the Beavers travel to Albion College on Tuesday, March 17. The first pitch is slated for 4:15 PM.

-BEAVERS-