By Kyle Stover
The Bluffton University baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with Anderson, dropping their first HCAC series of the season. The Beavers built and held onto a lead in game one, winning 5-2, before failing to get their offense going in a 7-1 game two setback.
Game one starter Ben Roeschley (Graymont, Ill./Flanagan) had an outstanding outing, shutting down the Raven hitters all game. He did not allow Anderson to score until the seventh inning, and that was an unearned run. Roeschley (2-1) finished with seven innings pitched, five hits allowed, no earned runs and four strikeouts.
Miles Richardson (Granville/Newark Catholic) came on in the eighth and worked two innings, allowing one earned run while striking out three.
Bluffton got on the board early, getting a run in the bottom of the first inning. That run scored thanks to a Kyle Niermann (Napoleon) single and stolen base before an RBI single by Tim Webb (Delaware/Worthington Christian).
The Beavers scored single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, courtesy of RBI singles by Anthony Cianci (Ravenna/Southeast), Niermann, and Mike Castro (Reynoldsburg). Bluffton added on one more run in the bottom of the seventh following a Raven error. That lead was all the Beavers would need as Bluffton coasted to a 5-2 victory.
Game two would prove to be an offensive struggle for Bluffton as the Beavers managed just six hits in the game. The starting pitcher for game two, Todd Stover (Tipp City/Tippecanoe) allowed no earned runs until the seventh inning, but costly errors allowed the Ravens to put the game out of reach. Stover (0-1) took the loss and finished the game with 6.1 innings pitched, seven hits, and five runs, only two earned.
Niermann started off the game the right way, smacking a double to right field and advancing to third on a fielding error. He came around to score on an RBI groundout to shortstop by Doug Paullin (Jeromesville/Hillsdale). That was all the scoring Bluffton would manage in the second game of the doubleheader, as the Beavers scattered just six hits in the game.
Castro and Niermann led the Beaver offense on the day, both getting four hits through the two games. Niermann stands just one hit shy of number 200 for his career and he trails just Tyler Stephenson on the all-time hits list. Richardson had three hits, while Cianci finished with two.
Following the series loss, Bluffton goes to 9-5 on the year with a 1-2 mark in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Anderson improved to 6-8 on the year and 2-1 in HCAC play. Bluffton is back in action on Tuesday when the Beavers take to the road for a non-conference game with Denison University. That contest is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. at Big Red Field in Granville, Ohio.
