CINCINNATI, Ohio - Mount St. Joseph limited the Bluffton University baseball team to three runs in a sweep of the Beavers on Sunday, March 24, 2024. Bluffton fell to 5-10 overall and 0-2 in the Heartland Conference, while MSJ improved to 8-10 and 3-1 in league play.

A six-run second inning was more than enough for the Lions in game one on Sunday. Two walks and three hit batters propelled the home team to a comfortable 6-0 lead. MSJ tacked on a seventh run in the bottom of the eighth and the Lions had no problems in their 7-0 shutout.

Junior Andrew Collinsworth (Westerville/Westerville South) fell to 0-3 after surrendering six runs on just one hit in 1.1 innings of work. He struck out two, walked four and hit four batters.

Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) reached base three times, walking twice and notching one of Blufton's five hits.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth, Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) doubled to right center, plating Ayden Spriggs (North Lewisburg/Triad) and Ezra Deitering (Ottawa/Miller City). Evan Houseman (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) picked up Towell for a 3-1 Bluffton lead.

Bluffton held on to that lead until the bottom of the eight when MSJ rallied with four tallies. A hit batter again set the stage for a big inning as MSJ followed with three hits and a Bluffton error that added up to a 5-3 victory when the Beavers went down without a whimper in the ninth.

Freshman Riley Reyna (Wellington) gave the visitors an outstanding start, allowing just one run on four hits in six innings of work. He struck out three and walked four. William Nowakowski (Grand Rapits/Swanton) fell to 1-1 after MSJ scored four runs in the eighth. He allowed three hits in 1.2 innings of relief.

Bluffton will be right back in action on Monday, March 25, when Earlham College comes to town for a pair of Heartland Conference showdowns. Game one is slated for 1 p.m. at Memorial Field.

-BEAVERS-