PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The Bluffton University baseball team fell just short of a second straight big comeback win on Wednesday, March 8, when Dean held off the Beavers 7-6. Bluffton slipped to 2-3 after two straight victories in Florida.

Senior Nathaniel DeWeese (Columbus/Hilliard Davidson) put Bluffton up 1-0 in the bottom of the second when his sacrifice fly to left picked up Dylan Gray (Hilliard/Hilliard Bradley). 

The Bulldogs scored four times in the top of the fourth, making it 4-1 before Nick Diana (Batavia/West Clermont) singled home DeWeese in the sixth. A Kenny Schneider (Sunbury/Big Walnut) two-bagger plated Gray for his second run of the game and it pulled Bluffton within a run, 4-3, heading to the eighth inning.

Dean scored three crucial runs in the top of the eighth, going ahead 7-3. Bluffton responded with three of its own in the bottom of the frame but it was not enough as the Bulldogs held on for the 7-6 victory. Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) drove home Kaden Bowman (Hilliard/Davidson), making it 7-4, before Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) and Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) delivered back-to-back sacrifice flys which made the final score 7-6 when both teams went down without a whimper in the ninth.

Baumgartner and Ezra Deitering (Ottawa/Miller City) both smacked two hits on Wednesday. Gray scored two runs for the Beavers.

Seth Altman (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) dropped his first decision of the season after allwoing four runs on eight hits over five innings of work. Altman struck out three and walked two batters. Darius Boeke (Sidney) worked the final 1.2 scoreless frames to keep Bluffton in the game, striking out one while not allowing a hit.

Bluffton will be back at Fort Myers for a 12 p.m. meeting with Haverford College on Thursday, March 9.

-BEAVERS-