By Cort Reynolds

SPENCERVILLE__The visiting Bluffton High School baseball team rallied late but lost a 4-3 nailbiter to Northwest Conference foe Spencerville in a tight league game on Monday, May 11.

The Bearcats scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning, but Bluffton matched that with a pair of runs in the top of the second frame. 

Spencerville untied it with two runs in the home third, and neither team scored over the next three innings. Bluffton pushed one across in the seventh inning, but came up a run short.

The Pirates out-hit the Bearcats, 10-5. But they committed four errors that led to two unearned runs. The hosts committed one error. 

Bluffton fell to 2-10-1 overall and 1-6 in the NWC with the defeat. 

Spencerville improved to 8-8 and 3-4 in NWC play after the home victory. 

Pirate senior Robby Taylor took the pitching loss despite pitching all six innings. He allowed just five hits and two earned runs. Taylor struck out five and walked two. 

Jaegar Crawfis slapped three singles to pace the Pirates. Bentley Rex contributed two singles and one run batted in. William Hoover also stroked a pair of singles and drove in one run. 

Bearcat Jude Stemen pitched five innings and scattered eight hits to get the win. He allowed no earned runs and struck out seven while walking two.

Gavin Comer relieved and pitched the last two innings of one-run baseball to earn a save. He struck out three, and also hit two singles while scoring twice. 

Bearcat Eli Pohlman doubled home a run. Mason Lewis added two RBI.

Bluffton’s game at non-league foe Upper Scioto Valley (6-10) last Friday was rained out. 

The Pirates are scheduled to play at Arcadia (10-10) on Tuesday. The Redskins beat Ada 4-1 on Monday. Bluffton hosts local non-league rival Cory-Rawson (4-12) on Friday.

WP-Stemen LP-Taylor Sv-Comer

2B-Pohlman (S)