TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - It was a great night for a great night! The Bluffton University baseball team snapped a 20-game skid at the hands of Rose-Hulman when the Beavers scored twice in the 11th and held on for an 11-10 victory in game one of the best-of-3 series on Friday, May 14, 2021. Bluffton last defeated the Engineers in 2013 and now the visitors are one win away from advancing to the five-team double-elimination Heartland Conference tournament next week.
Bluffton trailed 4-0 after three innings and 9-7 after eight, but two tallies in the ninth and two more in the 11th sent the Beavers to a stunning 11-10 victory on a beautiful Friday night for baseball. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for graduate student Adam Duncan (Northwood/Lake) in the top of the ninth. The two-sport standout came through with a two-run single down the left field line, making the score 9-9 when Nick Diana (Batavia/West Clermont) and Jacob Latkofsky (Temperence, Mich./Ida) crossed the dish. A superb play by Spencer Garrison (West Salem/Northwestern) sent the game to extras when he snagged a popup with one down and delivered a strike to first for an inning-ending twin-killing!
Following an uneventful 10th inning, Brandon Wilson (Casstown/Miami East) put the Beavers up 10-9 when his sacrifice bunt plated Diana. Another error by the Engineers, their sixth of the game, allowed Duncan to scurry home when Reid Ruhl (Hamilton) reached safely. When Luke Calabrese grounded into a 6-4-3 double play in the home half, it looked like the Beavers were on their way to an 11-9 victory. That was not the case as a Luke Cody dinger pulled the Engineers within a run. A hit batter brought the winning run to the plate, but Jaden Jaques (New Palestine, IN) got Rose pinch hitter Andy Krajecki on a foul popup to Parker Reynolds (Avon) for the final out of the game.
Bluffton trailed 4-0 early as four walks and back-to-back RBI singles by the Engineers chased starter Tommy Siemer (Liberty Township/Lakota East) in the third after two quick innings by the senior ace. The Beavers rallied with six unearned runs in the top of the seventh thanks to three RHIT errors, but Rose stormed back with five scores in the home half, setting the stage for a wild finish that started two innings later.
Duncan was the story for Bluffton's offense as he went 4-of-5 with five RBI and an intentional walk in the 11th inning. Reynolds and Diana both crossed the dish two times.
Sophomore Jacob Boelkens (Millbury/Lake) gave the Beavers 3.1 innings of shutdown relief before leaving the bases loaded with no outs in the seventh. Garrison came through with four innings of one-hit ball, striking out three and walking two in four innings of shutout relief. Jaques worked inning 11 for his first save of the season.
Bluffton will be back at Art Nehf Field for game two of the best-of-3 series at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 15.
-BEAVERS-