By: Ezra Deitering, sports information assistant
GAMBIER, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team traveled to Kenyon College on a brisk spring day to play one 7-inning game followed by a 9-inning contest on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
It was the Beavers getting on the board early when junior Jack Towell (Batavia, Ohio/West Clermont) singled to left field, scoring Jeff Strayer (Columbus,/Thomas Worthington). Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) then smashed a ball over the 2nd baseman's head for an RBI single, picking up Garrett O'Reilly (Galena/Orange).
However, the Beaver lead was short-lived as a couple of walks got The Lords in business. Sturgeon singled, scoring Rabinowitz, before a hit by pitch and a wild pitch saw the Lords score two more in the inning. A sacrifice fly scored Gow as the Beavers shouldered a 4-2 deficit heading into the top of the 3rd. The bats then fell silent until the 5th inning when Rabinowitz singled home Gow to make it a 5-2 lead for Kenyon.
Eddie Budinski (Louisville/Louisville) fell to 0-1 on the year as he gave up four runs, all of them earned. Carson Curnutte (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) tossed three innings, giving up one runs on four hits while striking out two. Spencer Garrison worked a shutout sixth for the visitors.
Alex Gow got the win for Kenyon, improving to 3-0 on the year. He gave up two runs on four hits while striking out three.
Maurer and Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) both chipped in with two hits for the Beavers.
Game two saw the visitors jump out to an early 1-0 lead as Strayer singled home Kenny Schneider (Sunbury/Big Walnut) in the top of the 3rd inning. However, this lead did not hold as the Lords scored 6 runs in the 6th and 7th innings. Bluffton made things interesting in the bottom of the 9th when Joe Fields (Brookeville, Ind./Franklin County) doubled and then scored on a wild pitch. Carson Kindred (Brookville/Troy Christian) crossed the dish on an RBI groundout by freshman Ethan Moore (Bellefontaine/Bellefontaine) but it was too little too late as Kenyon came away with the sweep by a final score of 6-3.
Andrew Collinsworth (Westerville/Westerville South) worked a masterful six innings, giving up just two runs on three hits and striking out four, but he was saddled with the loss.
Joel Biery got the win for Kenyon after working 2.1 innings, allowing no runs or hits and striking out four. He moved to 1-0 on the year.
It is a quick turnaround for Bluffton as the Beavers will face Olivet on Wednesday, at home, with a 4:15 p.m. first pitch.
-BEAVERS-