By: Colton Steiner
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Bluffton Beavers would go head-to-head with the St. Vincent Bearcats in a game that would go down to the wire and end in thrilling fashion. After being down six runs, the Beavers would score six unanswered to force an extra inning. Drew Snipes (Pickerington, Ohio / North) would take care of business as he would smack a two-run walk-off homerun to left to give the Beavers a 9-8 win. The win puts Bluffton at a record of 2-3 on the season, while St. Vincent drops to 1-3 to begin their year.
In the first, the Bearcats would take advantage of a Beaver fielding error to go up 1-0 right out of the gate. They would add three runs in the second and lead 4-0 until Tyler Forest (Harrison, Ohio / LaSalle) got Bluffton on the board wiht an RBI double to left as they trailed 4-1. The two teams would be scoreless in the third frame, but a three-run fourth inning for St. Vincent allowed them to jump ahead 7-1. The scoring would get going for the Beavers as Billy Ramsey (Fairfield) would bring home Drew Snipes to cut the deficit to five heading into the sixth frame. After holding the Bearcats scoreless, Bluffton would get RBI singles from Torin Long (Defiance) and Drew Snipes to make it a 7-4 contest at the end of the sixth. The Beavers would record another RBI single after Sam Archambeau (Maumee, Ohio / Maumee/Albion College) smoked a hit up the middle to bring home Wes Toth (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) to cut the St. Vincent lead to just two runs. In the eighth inning, the Beavers would take advantage on a throwing error to score a pair of runs, evening up the game at seven a piece. Neither team would score in the ninth to force an extra inning, and after a fielders choice scored a run for the Bearcats, Bluffton would trail 8-7. In the bottom of the tenth, Tyler Forest would get on base after connecting on a double that bounced over the center field fence to put the game-winning run at the plate. Drew Snipes saw his pitch and crushed a towering homerun to left field to walk the game off and give the Beavers a thrilling 9-8 win.
It was the Drew Snipes show as the junior finished the day going 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBIs and recording a pair of runs. Also producing offense for the Beavers was Tyler Forest with three hits and Nathan Rorick (Dublin) who tallied two runs and a pair of hits in the contest.
Jayce Emmitt (Columbus, Ind. / Columbus North) would pick up his first collegiate win on the mound after pitching the final frame, allowing one run and moving to 1-0 to start the season. Travis Rooney (Thompson, Pa. / Susquehanna) would go four innings of perfect relief pitching, allowing no runs on no hits, while fanning a pair of batters. Also picking up a pair of strikeouts was William Nissen (Genoa), who allowed two hits in 1.1 innings of work.
Bluffton will continue their action in Florida at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational when they face off against the Concordia Moorhead Cobbers on Wednesday, Mar. 4 at 1 p.m.
-Beavers-