LEXINGTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team rallied from six runs down, but Transy responded with a seven-run fourth inning en route to an 18-10 victory on Sunday, April 14, 2024. Bluffton fell to 9-19 on the season and 4-9 in the Heartland Conference, while the Pioneers upped their overall mark to 23-6 and 10-3 in league play.

A Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) two-bagger put the Beavers up 1-0 in the first when he picked up Ezra Deitering (Ottawa/Miller City). The Bluffton lead was short lived as Transy responded with two in the home half and five in the second for a 7-1 Pioneer advantage.

Deitering's two-run double in the third plated Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) and Ethan Moore (Bellefontaine), making it 7-3. Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) singled home Deitering and Tyler Fuller (Lewis Center/Orange) lifted a sacrifice fly to right that drove in Maurer, pulling the visitors within two runs.

Evan Houseman (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) smacked a two-run double to left center in the fourth before Maurer's RBI single to right knotted the game at 8-8 when Houseman crossed the dish. The bottom of the inning was not as kind to the Beavers as Transylvania rolled up seven runs which included a grand slam from pinch hitter Zach Forner.

Matthew Mitchell (Amelia/McNicholas) and Deitering drove in late runs for the Beavers, but the home team was more than up the task on Sunday, posting a convincing 18-10 victory that wrapped up its three-game sweep.

Baumgartner and Maurer led the way with three hits apiece. Deitering drove in three runs, while Baumgartner scored three times. Towell, Deitering and Moore all chipped in with two hits in the finale.

Junior Wyatt Groves (Marengo/Highland) surrendered seven runs on four hits in just 1.2 innings on the bump. He did not factor in the decision thanks to Bluffton rallying to tie the game in the top of the fourth. William Nowakowski (Grand Rapids/Swanton) slipped to 1-2 after giving up four runs in one inning of work. Jacob Boelkens (Millbury/Lake) gave the Beavers a chance, tossing 3.1 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out two and allowed only one hit.

Bluffton will hit the road again on Wednesday, April 17, when the Beavers travel to Hiram College. The first pitch is slated for 4 p.m.

-BEAVERS-