BEREA, Ky. - The Bluffton University baseball team saw its 9-0 lead slip away and with it any chance to pick up a win at Berea on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The Mountaineers scored nine in the fourth on the way to a 20-16 victory and three-game sweep of the visitors. Bluffton fell to 7-13 overall and 1-6 in the Heartland Conference, while Berea improved to 4-21 and 3-4 in the HCAC.

A two-run Drew Snipes (Pickerington/North) homer and RBI hits from Wes Toth (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) and Brandon North (Hilliard/Bradley) in the second inning helped stake the Beavers to a seemingly comfortable 9-0 advantage, but 16 Berea tallies in innings two through four turned the tide in a hurry.

Bluffton made a surge with five runs in the top of the seventh courtesy of run-scoring hits from Drew Johnson (Bucyrus/Wynford) and Ayden Spriggs (North Lewisburg/Triad), pulling within a run, however, Berea tacked on one in the bottom of the inning and two more in the eighth for a 20-16 victory in game three.

Spriggs, Toth and North all tallied two hits on Sunday. Snipes drove in three and scored three times. Tyler Forest (Harrison/LaSalle) also scored three runs. Toth, North and Xander Greulich (Pemberville/Eastwood) scored two runs apiece.

Junior Matthew Becher (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) allowed seven runs on five hits in two innings, but did not factor in the decision. He struck out two and walked one in his fifth start of the season. William Nowakowski (Grand Rapids/Swanton) fell to 1-4 on the year. He gave up five, two earned, in 1.1 innings of relief with one strikeout and four walks.

Bluffton is back at Memorial Field for a non-leage clash with Heidelberg University on Wednesday, April 1. First pitch is slated for 4:15 p.m.

-BEAVERS-