LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University baseball team scored seven runs on one hit in the bottom of the first en route to its first-ever trip to the HCAC semifinal round! Bluffton led 7-3 after one inning and it made those tallies hold up as the Beavers handed Anderson its second loss (8-5) in as many days. The Ravens will head north to Indiana while the Beavers stay in the hunt for an HCAC championship when they take on #3 seed Earlham College at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 22.

Just over 24 hours after Bluffton limited Anderson to one hit through the first eight innings, the Ravens smacked six hits in the first inning en route to a quick 3-0 lead before Coach Grandey's crew took its first turn at the dish. Bluffton managed just one hit as 11 Beavers stepped to the plate, but five walks, three hit batters and an error on a potential double-play ball added up to a huge crooked number on the scoreboard. Seven Beavers crossed the plate and the only hit ended the inning when Jaxon Rogan (Marysville) was caught trying to slip into second following a two-run single to right field.

Garrett O'Reilly (Galena/Orange) took advantage of his new life when the senior went back to work in inning two. He kept the Ravens off balance, tossing six shutout innings before coming out with one down in the top of the eighth with the Beavers up 8-3 thanks to a safety squeeze by Nick Diana (Batavia/West Clermont) that plated Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) an inning earlier.

Eddie Budinski (Louisville) inherited runners in scoring position with one out. A base hit to left center and miscommunication in right center made the score 8-5, but Budinski got five of the next six Ravens as Bluffton moved to day three of the Heartland Conference Tournament!

Senior Jacob Latkofsky (Temperence, Mich./Ida) finished with two of Bluffton's five hits, 10 fewer than the 15 Anderson smacked on Friday night. Towell scored two runs after being hit by a pitch three times. The Ravens issued 12 free passes and hit five Bluffton batters.

O'Reilly improved to 4-5 after tossing 7.1 innings for the Beavers. He allowed five runs, but just two after the first inning and those came after he exited the game. The senior struck out five and he did not walk a batter.

Bluffton lives to see another day as the Beavers meet Earlham College at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday for a spot in the HCAC title game. The Bluffton-Earlham victor gets another crack at host Transylvania which has handed both teams their only loss in the tournament. 

-BEAVERS-