March 24, 2017
BLUFFTON, Ohio - A rare doubleheader on Friday saw the Bluffton University baseball team kick off Heartland Conference play against the Anderson University Ravens on March 24. Bluffton rolled to a 16-5 victory in the lidlifter and nearly rallied from an 8-0 deficit in game two, but the Ravens earned a split with their 12-10 win in the nightcap. The Beavers improved to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in the Heartland Conference, while AU moved to 7-8 on the season.
Eight runs in the first two innings of game one proved to be more than enough as Bluffton pushed the lead to 10-0 when Ryan Golden (Findlay) rapped his second two-run single of the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Anderson plated two scores in the fifth, but an RBI double by Blake Fox (Berne, Ind./South Adams) in the sixth and five more Beaver tallies in the seventh pushed the spread to 16-2. Three Raven runs in the eighth made the final score 16-5 as Bluffton opened HCAC play with a convincing victory.
Fox was a perfect 3-of-3 with 4 RBI, while Clayton Siders (Delaware/Worthington Christian) also smacked three hits and scored twice. Golden drove in four runs on two hits. Austin Prosser (Galion) crossed the dish four times, while Luke Hickey (Toledo/Whitmer) scored three runs. Colin Gregory (Fremont/Clyde) went 2-of-3 with two RBI.
Dyson Bowman (Coshocton) improved to 2-1 after allowing five runs on seven hits in seven strong innings on the bump. He set down eight Ravens and walked three.
The visitors turned the tables in game two, taking their own 8-0 lead just nine outs into the contest. Bluffton cut the deficit in half with four runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a pair of Raven errors, but Anderson added runs in each of the final four innings.
A four-run Bluffton eighth that was highlighted by Luke Hickey's two-run double and two more scores in the ninth had the Bluffton faithful on the edge of their seats, but Anderson held on for the exciting 12-10 victory.
Hickey did the bulk of Bluffton's damage, going 3-of-6 with four RBI and two runs scored. Prosser drove in two and Fox chipped in with two hits.
Kevin Every (Zanesville/West Muskingum) was saddled with the loss after surrendering six runs on five hits in just one inning of work.
The Beavers are ready for an early wake-up call with the Anderson rubber match slated for 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 25.
-BEAVERS-
