By: Colton Steiner

BLUFFTON, Ohio - As the Easter break begins, the Bluffton Beavers would face off against the Earlham Quakers in a double header on Good Friday. After falling behind early on in game one, the Beavers would fight back into the game, but would ultimately fall 11-7 after giving up four runs in the ninth. The momentum would carry into game two as the Quakers would cruise to a 10-3 win over Bluffton on Memorial Field. With the pair of losses, the Beavers drop to 7-14 overall and sit at 1-7 in the HCAC. 

Following scoreless innings in the first and second, Earlham would score three in the third and another run in the fourth to go up 4-0 until an RBI single from Liam George (Hilliard, Ohio / Hilliard Bradley) cut the deficit to 4-1. Earlham managed to score a run in the top of the fifth, bu Bluffton would respond in the bottom of the frame with RBI singles from Wes Toth (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) and Drew Johnson (Bucyrus, Ohio / Wynford), bringing the score to 5-3. The offense would continue for the Quakers as they would add a pair of runs in the sixth to go up four. After a scoreless seventh inning from both teams, in the bottom of the eighth, Ayden Spriggs (North Lewisburg, Ohio / Triad) would smack a two-run dinger to bring the Beavers within two. The offense would continue after a one-run single from Brandon North (Hilliard, Ohio / Bradley) when Sam Archambeau (Maumee) would smoke a double to right center to score two, evening up the contest at 7-7. In the top of the ninth, Earlham would take advantage of Beaver miscues and score four runs, taking an 11-7 lead. After Bluffton was unable to respond in the bottom of the inning, the Quakers would take game one in a final score of 11-7. 

Despite the loss, the Beavers would outhit Earlham 16-13, with seven players having a multi-hit game. Ayden Spriggs would finish the contest going 2-for-4, accounting for two runs and tallying two RBIs while also drawing a pair of walks. Leading the team with three total hits was Tyler Forest (Harrison, Ohio / LaSalle) while Wes Toth would record two hits and score twice with an RBI. 

Riley Reyna (Wellington) would start the game on the mound for Bluffton, going five innings, allowing four runs off six hits, while fanning six batters. Coming in for 1.2 innings of relief was William Nissen (Genoa) who pitched 1.2 frames, allowing just two hits and recording three strikeouts. Picking up the loss was Alexander James (Vandalia, Ohio / Butler), who falls to 1-2 on the season after allowing three runs off one hit in .1 inning of action. 

The two teams would kick right into action and the Quakers would get the offense going after a scoreless first, going up 8-0 after five inning. The Beavers would add a pair of runs in the seventh after Drew Johnson connected on a double down the left field line, bringing home Sam Archambeau and Brandon North. After Earlham responded with two runs of their own in the eigth, Bluffton would get a run off a Sam Archambeau RBI in the bottom of the inning, but they would be unable to stage a comeback as they would fall 10-3 in game two. 

Earlham would come away with 13-7 advantage at the plate, with Tyler Forest and Ayden Spriggs each going 2-for-5 in the contest. Also contributing for the Beavers was Sam Archambeau, who finished 1-for-4 in the game with an RBI, while Drew Johnson would get a hit and lead the team in RBIs with two. 

Taking the loss on the hill for the home team was starting pitcher Noah Davis (Cincinnati, Ohio / Norwood), who threw 4.1 innings, allowing five earned runs off six hits, while tallying seven strikeouts. AJ Remick (Orient, Ohio / Grove City) would fan a pair in 1.2 innings of relief, while Nathan Waggoner (Brookville) would throw one scoreless inning with a strikeout. 

Bluffton will close out the three-game series against the Quakers on Saturday, Apr. 4 in a single game that is set to start at 11 a.m. Come out and support your Beavers!

-Beavers-