By: Colton Steiner

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton Beavers would close out a three-game stint against the Manchester Spartans at home, where the Spartans would find a rhythm at the plate and not look back. A double-digit run inning in the eighth allowed the visitors to run-rule the Beavers and hand them a 17-1 loss, dropping Bluffton toa record of 8-20 on the season and falling to 2-11 in the HCAC. 

Manchester would get things going right out of the gate, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first to jump ahead 2-0 early in the contest. After a scoreless second, the Beavers would get a run on the board in the bottom of the third after an Ayden Spriggs (North Lewisburg, Ohio / Triad) single to the gap in right scored Drew Snipes (Pickerington, Ohio / North), cutting the deficit to 2-1. The small deficit would grow as the bats would get hot for the Spartans as they would answer with 15 unanswered runs over the next five innings, that included a 10 run eighth inning, going up 17-1. With their backs against the wall, Bluffton would be unable to get any offense going as they would take the 17-1 loss after eight innings. 

Getting outhit 16-5, the Beavers were led by senior Ayden Spriggs, who finished 3-for-4 with an RBI. Drew Snipes and Wes Toth (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) would each record a hit, with Toth also drawing a pair of walks. 

Taking the loss on the mound was Jack Hardesty (Akron, Ohio / Hoban), who moves to 0-2 on the season after allowing three earned runs off seven hits in his start. The Bluffton pitching staff would allow eight earned runs in the contest after five fielding miscues allowed nine unanswered runs for the visitors. 

The Beavers will have a couple days off before they travel to Hiram on Wednesday, Apr. 15, with first pitch set for 4 p.m.

-Beavers-