May 2, 2015
By: Ryan Schadewald, sports information assistant
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University baseball team wrapped up their 2015 campaign with a doubleheader sweep of Transylvania, winning 6-5 and 10-9 in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, May 2. The Beavers finished the season with a school record for total wins (22-18), as well as for HCAC victories (15-12) on the season!
Transylvania kicked off the opener with a 5-0 advantage through four innings as the Beavers could not garner a base knock. That all changed in the fifth, as Bluffton put four on the board, including a two-run double from Michael Alexander (Monroe), with an RBI each for Clayton Siders (Delaware/Worthington Christian) and Luke Hickey (Toledo/Whitmer) to make it a 5-4 game. The tying and winning runs came in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Mike Castro (Reynoldsburg) and a sac fly from fellow senior Jake Townley (Mansfield/Madison) as the Beavers took the 6-5 game one win.
Bluffton’s Brad Schlabach (Fredericksburg/Hiland) capped his career in purple with a complete-game victory, finishing his season at 6-1. He gave up five earned runs on 10 hits while striking out three Pioneers. Jamie King threw seven innings, falling to 3-9 for Transy.
Three Beavers finished with multi-hit games, including Hickey, who was 2-of-4 with a double and an RBI. Tyler Spalding (Willis, Mich./Lincoln) finished game one 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored, while Siders went 2-for-4 with two singles, an RBI and two runs scored.
The Beavers were forced to come from behind again in the nightcap as the Pioneers scored two in the first inning. Bluffton’s Cade Randolph(Marengo/Highland) earned a run back on an RBI single to cut it to 2-1. The Beavers finally took the lead in the fourth, adding four runs for a 5-2 advantage. Transy stormed back in the bottom half, however, scoring four runs to re-gain the lead at 6-5. After a Spalding RBI single tied it in the fifth, Transylvania would add three more runs to take a 9-6 lead.
The Beavers would finish their season with one final rally in the ninth. Castro, Townley, and T.J. Devore (Grove City) led off with three straight base hits, scoring Castro to cut it to 9-7. The Beavers loaded the bases with two outs and a walk would score Spalding, making it a one-run game. Hickey would tie the game on an interference call which also plated Jason Colliver (Beavercreek) for the 10-9 win.
Kevin Every (Zanesville/West Muskingum) earned the victory for the Beavers, throwing 1.2 innings and giving up one run on two hits while finishing his season 2-0. Austin Prosser (Galion) picked up his fifth save with a perfect ninth inning. Jaylen Von Sossan (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) started the game for Bluffton, giving up eight runs (six earned) on eight hits.
Spalding wrapped up his college career with a bang after struggling offensive the last couple weeks, going 3-for-4 with a double, two singles, an RBI and three runs. Randolph also smacked three singles for the Beavers, while Alexander and Jeff Roth (Bellevue) finished with two hits each. Alexander was the only Beaver with multiple RBI (2).
-BEAVERS-
