BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team scored two in the fifth and two more in the seventh en route to a 4-2 win over visiting Anderson University on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Bluffton rebounded from a 19-3 loss at the hands of these same Ravens on Sunday, clinching the series victory and improving to 7-7 overall and 2-1 in the Heartland Conference. Anderson fell to 11-7 and 1-2 in the HCAC.

The visitors put single runs up in the fourth and fifth before two Bluffton tallies in the bottom of the fifth inning knotted it up at 2-2. Back-to-back two-baggers by Austin Francis (Troy/Miami East) and Grant Hovest (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) cut the deficit in half. Senior Jake Baumgartner laced a single to right, tying the game when Hovest crossed the dish.

Following a walk to Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) that loaded the sacks in the home seventh, sophomore Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) came through with a single to left that picked up Hovest and Baumgartner for a 4-2 Bluffton lead!

Towell moved to the mound for the ninth and served up a double play ball and flyout which capped off the improbable series victory despite 32 runs put up by the Ravens over three games.

Jaden Jaques (New Palestine, IN) worked three scoreless frames for his first victory of the season. He allowed just two hits to go along with three walks. Andrew Collinsworth (Westerville/Westerville South) went five innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with four strikeouts. Towell nailed down his first save.

Baumgartner smacked three hits for the victors. Maurer went 2-of-4 with two RBI. Francis added two safeties and Hovest scored twice.

Bluffton will make the short trip to Ada on Thursday, March 30, for a non-conference battle with Ohio Northern. First pitch is slated for 4:15 p.m.

-BEAVERS-