April 4, 2017
RICHMOND, Ind. - The Bluffton University baseball team dropped an 8-3 decision at Earlham College on Tuesday, April 4, 2017. The Quakers defeated Bluffton for the second straight Tuesday, improving to 10-7 overall and 5-3 in the Heartland Conference. Bluffton slipped to 10-8 and 3-5 in the HCAC.
Sophomore Tanner Hodges (Taylor, Mich./John F. Kennedy) blasted an opposite field homer with one out in the top of the first for a quick 1-0 lead on Tuesday afternoon. The Quakers responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning before Luke Hickey (Toledo/Whitmer) RBI singles in the second and fourth innings made it 3-1 in favor of the visitors.
Senior Austin Every (Zanesville/West Muskingum) continued to mow down the Earlham hitters until the home half of the seventh. A walk and a hit batter set up three Quaker runs when Erik Elkus laced a two-run double for a 5-3 Earlham lead. A Matt Barger three-run shot in the 8th capped the rally and gave the Quakers an 8-3 win and with it the series victory.
Hickey finished the afternoon 4-of-5 with two RBI. Junior Reid Maus (Hamilton/Badin) went 3-of-4 with a double and Blake Fox (Berne, Ind./South Adams) chipped in with two hits.
Every fell to 0-2 after giving up five runs on nine hits in 6.2 innings of work. He fanned seven Quakers and issued just one free pass.
Bluffton returns to action on Friday, April 7, when the Beavers travel to Cincinnati for the start of a three-game set with Mount St. Joseph. The first pitch is slated for 4 PM at the UC Health Stadium.
-BEAVERS-
