By: Colton Steiner

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Bluffton Beavers would travel west and go up against the Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers in an HCAC battle. The bats would be hot for the hosts right from the start as Rose-Hulman would take game one 13-3, before taking game two 9-0. With the pair of losses, Bluffton drops to 8-24 overall, with a 2-15 mark in the HCAC. 

After a triple from Jake McCoy (Milford) in the second inning, Sam Archambeau (Maumee) would bring him home after sneaking a single through the left side of the infield, putting the Beavers up 1-0. Defensively, Bluffton managed to hold Rose-Hulman hitless through innings, but after back-to-back doubles from the hosts, they were able to jump ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth. The Engineers would add another couple runs in the inning, followed by three more runs in the fifth, extending their lead to 7-1. The Beavers managed to cut the defiit to four following a pair of runs scoring off a Rose-Hulman fielding error in the sixth inning. The home team would add on three more runs in the seventh as Bluffton fell behind 10-3 going into the eighth. With runners on first and second in the eighth inning, a three-run homerun from the Fightin' Engineers would walk off the game and seal a 13-3 defeat for the visitors after eight innings.

Leading the Beavers at the plate and going 3-for-4 was Jake McCoy, who smacked a triple, a double, and a single, accounting for two of Bluffton's runs. Also producing on offense was Brandon North (Hilliard, Ohio / Bradley) and Sam Archambeau, who each tallied two hits apiece in game one.

Taking the loss on the mound was starting pitcher Jack Hardesty (Akron, Ohio / Hoban), who falls to 0-3 on the 2026 season after allowing four runs off four hits in 3.1 innings of work. As a whole, the pitching staff for the Beavers would allow 13 runs off 13 runs, striking out two batters and walking seven.

Opening up game two, Rose-Hulman would take a 4-0 lead after a four run second inning, followed by five more unanswered runs. Trailing 9-0 in the top of the ninth, The Beavers  would not be able to mount a comeback, falling in a final score of 9-0. 

The offense would struggle for Bluffton, finishing with five hits in the outing, while giving up 11. Finishing a team best 2-for-4 for the Beavers was Ayden Spriggs (North Lewisburg, Ohio / Triad), followed by Brandon North, Jake McCoy, and Tyler Forest (Harrison, Ohio / LaSalle), all finishing hit with one hit each.

Matthew Becher (Fishers, Ind. / Hamilton Southeastern) picks up the loss after 6.0 innings pitched, allowing six earned runs off eight hits in the start. He drops to 0-3 on the season after striking out four batters in the contest. Throwing two innings of relief was Nathan Waggoner (Brookville), who would allow no earned runs after giving up three hits. 

Bluffton will be back at it on Tuesday, Apr. 21 when they come back home to play a solo contest against the Otterbein Cardinals, with first pitch set for 4:15 p.m.

-Beavers-