April 18, 2017
DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Bluffton University baseball team matched up with rival Defiance for the second straight week and although the venue changed the end result was the same as the Beavers dropped a 7-2 decision at Rutter Field. Defiance improved to 10-19 on the season and 7-9 in the Heartland Conference, while Bluffton fell to 11-17 and 4-12 in the HCAC following its ninth straight loss.
Sophomore Colin Gregory (Fremont/Clyde) doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the third before two-baggers by Adam Duncan (Northwood/Lake) and Luke Hickey (Toledo/Whitmer) in the fifth made it 2-0 in favor of the visitors.
The Jackets responded with five tallies in the home half of the fifth thanks to four hits and a pair of Bluffton errors. Defiance tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth for the final 7-2 margin on Tuesday evening.
Dyson Bowman (Coshocton) fanned six in 4.1 innings, tying him with Mike Bruns (1986) for the most punchouts in a single season (62) at Bluffton! He allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits with two walks while dipping to 3-3 on the year. Blake Fox (Berne, Ind./South Adams) rapped two hits for the Beavers.
Bluffton is back at Memorial Field on Friday, April 21, after a six-game road swing. The Beavers welcome Franklin College for a three-game Heartland Conference set with the first pitch slated for 4:15 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
