Pirate baseball ousted by Liberty-Benton

By Cort Reynolds

FINDLAY - The visiting Bluffton High School baseball team lost 10-0 at powerhouse Liberty-Benton in Div. V northwest 2 sectional final action Saturday, May 24.

The fourth-seeded Eagles clinched the win in the bottom of the sixth inning by inducing the 10-run mercy rule.

The fifth seed Pirates ended their season 12-13 after the defeat. 

The Blanchard Valley Conference champion Eagles improved to 20-4 with the win.

L-B next plays second seed Milan Edison in the district semifinals at Bluffton University Thursday, May 29. Top seed Coldwater (23-2) plays third-seeded Oak Harbor in the other district semi May 29.

Bluffton senior Quinn Eachus threw three innings and allowed six hits with no earned runs to suffer the tough-luck loss. L-B scored three early unearned runs when he was on the mound. 

Eagle pitcher Landen Stansberry got the win by hurling six innings of one-hit baseball. He struck out 11 Pirates and walked three. At the plate, he singled twice and scored four runs.

Eagle Seth Elchert legged out an RBI triple and drew a walk. Reid Irwin stroked two singles, drove in a run and coaxed a walk.  

Bluffton managed just one hit. 

Final: Bluf 0, L-B 10

WP-Stansbery LP-Eachus  

3B-Elchert (LB)