By: Colton Steiner
BLUFFTON, Ohio - With the sun shinning and the wind blowing, the Bluffton University baseball team would face off against the Berea Mountaineers in a Good Friday doubleheader to start off the holiday weekend. The bats got hot right out of the gate as the Beavers would cruise to a 16-6 win in game one before dropping the second game, 8-6. The split puts Bluffton at 6-24-1 with a Heartland Conference record of 4-12, while Berea goes to 8-23 on the season and 2-13 in the HCAC.
Senior Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) got the day started with a double to left center that brought home Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start). After Towell was able to score courtesy of a wild pitch, sophomore Brandon North (Hilliard/Bradley) smacked a double to center that brought home Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge), putting Bluffton up 3-0 in the bottom of the first. Evan Houseman (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) would round out the inning with an RBI single for a 4-0 Bluffton lead.
Following a scoreless second, senior Aaron Archer (Bowling Green) crush a solo home run to add another run to the board for Bluffton in the bottom of the third. It was his first collegiate bomb! Despite the Mountaineers answering with four runs in the top of the fourth, the Beaver offense would watch Trey Pipenger (Richmond, Ind.) clobber a grand slam which put Bluffton up 9-4. The home team wouldn't be done as Ayden Spriggs (North Lewisburg/Triad) wanted to join in on the fun with a three-run dinger down the left field line, making it 12-4 going into the sixth.
After two scoreless frames, Berea would add a pair of runs off a double and a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to six. Bluffton was unfazed as senior Zane Sarcheck (Sunbury/Big Walnut) ripped a double to the gap in right center, scoring Dylan Gray (Hilliard/Hilliard Bradley) and Ayden Spriggs for a 14-6 spread. The game came to a halt after RBI singles from Ethan Moore (Bellefontaine) and Jake Baumgartner forced a run-rule victory for the Beavers as they would knock off the Mountaineers, 16-6.
Jake Baumgartner went 3-for-6 at the plate with a pair of runs while Ayden Spriggs collected two hits, scored twice, and drove in three runs. Also collecting two hits in the contest was Drew Snipes and Evan Houseman, while Trey Pipenger led the team with four RBI.
Improving to 2-3 on the season, Riley Reyna (Wellington) went six innings, allowing three earned runs off five hits while fanning four batters. In two innings of relief, Brent Mitosinka (Ida, Mich.) allowed two runs off two hits while picking up one strikeout.
To start the second game following a Senior Day ceremony which honored a bevy of Beavers, neither team would get a run in the first, but the Mountaineers would erupt for four runs in the top of the second to take an early 4-0 lead. The Mountaineers added another run in the top of the fourth before a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning scored Justin Maurer to cut the Beaver deficit to 5-1.
Drew Snipes (Pickerington/North) would continue the rally with a two-run shot over the left field fence to bring Bluffton within two. After not allowing any runs in the top of the fifth, Ayden Spriggs would smack a single to right field to pick up Brady Mitosinka (Ida, Mich.), cutting the Berea lead to one run.
The Beavers knotted the game up after Justin Maurer hit a double down the left field line to bring home Jack Towell, putting the score at 5-5. The tie would not last for long as Berea exploded for three runs in the top of the eighth to go ahead 8-6. While Bluffton was able to add a run in the bottom of the ninth with a sac fly to right, the deficit would be too much as the Mountaineers earned a split with their 8-6 victory.
The Beavers connected for six just hits with Jack Towell going 2-for-4 and scoring a run. Ayden Spriggs and Drew Snipes would each record two RBI, while Zane Sarcheck and Dylan Gray each draw a pair of walks.
Going 6.2 innings on the mound was senior Nathan Young (Copley) who allowed five runs ofn six hits, while picking up three strikeouts. Andrew Collinsworth (Westerville/Westerville South) took the loss, dropping to 1-3 after allowing three runs on three hits in one-third of an inning.
Bluffton will be back into action on Monday, April 21, when they travel down the road to Ada for a 4 p.m. meeting with the Ohio Northern Polar Bears.
-BEAVERS-
