(PAULDING) - Bluffton’s baseball season came to a close Wednesday evening with an 8-5 tournament loss at Paulding. The Pirates finish the season at 3-15. Seniors on the team are Dakota Bricker, Braeden Edwards, Brice Rayle, Cole Fruchey, Brady Romick, Kaden Reneker, Brayton Businger and Aaron Belcher.  

Bluffton staked starting pitcher Kaden Reneker to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning but the Panthers got one back in the bottom half of the inning and took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Four more runs in the fifth out the game out of reach. 

Bluffton outhit Paulding 12-11 on the game.  Reneker, Jason Althaus and Aaron Belcher each had two hits for BHS. Cayden Rayle, Dakota Bricker, Brady Romick, Brice Rayle, Evan Mayden and Cole Fruchey each collected hits as well.  Belcher and Althaus each drove in two runs and Mayden the other.  

Reneker pitched 4.2 innings giving up 9 hits and 7 runs, 4 of which were earned.  Belcher closed out the fifth and Bricker pitched the sixth.