By: Colton Steiner
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - The Bluffton University baseball team hit the road to face off against the Manchester University Spartans for their final game of the 2025 campaign on Monday, May 5. After getting postponed a day due to weather, the rain came back with Manchester up 4-1 in the sixth, effectively ending the game and concluding the season with one out in the top of the sixth. Bluffton finished the year with an overall record of 9-29-1 and a 6-16 mark in HCAC play, while Manchester moved to 26-12 and 15-7 in the conference as they prepare for the HCAC Tournament.
Manchester would get out to a 1-0 lead in the first before adding another run in the second to go up 2-0. After Bluffton was unable to score in the top of the third, a sacrifice fly from the Spartans put the home team up 3-0 going into the fourth.
The Beavers were finally able to get a run home on a Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) sacrifice fly to end their scoring drought, cutting the deficit to 3-1 when Drew Snipes (Pickerington/North) crossed the dish. That would be all that Bluffton would muster up until an RBI single from Manchester put the home Spartans back up by three runs.
In the top of the sixth, Mother Nature would come calling, delivering a nonstop wave of pouring rain with no end in sight. That led to the game being called with the Beavers falling to the Spartans by a final score of 4-1 in six innings.
Bluffton had a solid day at the plate, collecting a total of eight hits, but once again struggled to bring home runs as the visitors left six runners on base. Snipes went 2-for-2 on the day with a pair of singles and the lone Beaver run. In their final collegiate game, Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) and Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) added two hits apiece.
The lone pitcher for the Beavers was Matthew Becher (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) who finished the season with a 2-4 mark on the hill. Becher tossed five innings, allowing four runs off eight hits, while walking two and fanning one batter.
Bluffton's baseball season comes to an end with a 9-29-1 record as 17 Beavers finished their college baseball careers. We wish them the best in their endevours and are excited to see what they do in their fields. Continue to check the Bluffton baseball webpages over the coming weeks as the record books are updated and All-Heartland Conference awards are distributed.
-BEAVERS-