By Evan Skilliter, sports information assistant

Stats http://www.bluffton.edu/athletics/football/2013/09-14-13.htm

The Beavers welcomed the Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets to Salzman Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14, trying to rebound from last week's opening night loss at Ohio Wesleyan. The Beavers were able to control the first quarter as they took a 14-10 lead into the second frame, but the 23rd ranked Yellow Jackets proved too tough for the Beavers as they outscored the hosts 42-7 the rest of the game to take a 52-21 victory back to Berea.

The Beavers fell into early trouble after B-W's Joe Kasper picked up a backward pass and took it in for six just under four minutes into the game. However, junior quarterback Nick Sheehan (Monroeville, Ind./Heritage) found Shawn Frost (Edison/ Mt. Gilead) through the air for a 15-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive, tying the score, 7-7, at the 7:26 mark in the first quarter. The touchdown was Frost's third of the young season.

On the ensuing kick-off, Austin Sweeney's (Adrian, Mi./Whitmer) pooch was mishandled and fumbled by the Yellow Jackets and Bluffton sophomore Jake Michaels (Rupublic/Seneca East) recovered. That set up a touchdown pass from Sheehan to DonOvan Brown (Cincinnati/Purcell Marian) on the first play of the next drive, putting the Beavers up 14-7 at the 7:14 mark. Baldwin Wallace kicker Chris Mohler would tally the final score of the period from 24 yards out to bring the Yellow Jackets within four, 14-10, to end the first quarter.

The visitors put up 14 points in each of the next three quarters while Bluffton was only able to cross the goal line once more after the second Sheehan to Brown touchdown completion of the day.

Sheehan completed 24-of-43 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns on the day. Frost finished with a very impressive 110 yards receiving and a touchdown on seven receptions. Brown also caught seven passes for 79 yards and a TD, while Eric Fox (Brunswick) and Devante Thomas-Wright (Kings Clint.Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley) each caught three passes for 33 and 25 yards, respectively.

Fox carried the ball 12 times for 47 yards while senior C.J. Sewell (Lima/Shawnee) tallied 13 runs for 31 yards. Calib Alexander (Ocala, Fla./St. John Lutheran) carried it seven times for 20 yards.

As a team, Bluffton tallied 385 yards of total offense, including 108 on the ground and 277 through the air. Baldwin-Wallace racked up 527 yards of offense.

Defensively for the Beavers, Josh Runda (Lima/Bath) led the home team with eight tackles, including one tackle-for-loss. Ben Schamp (St. Marys/Memorial), Travaun Reaves (Berkley, Mich./Berkley), Craig Miller (Plymouth) and Josh Hadley (Harper Woods, Mich./Harper Woods) finished with five tackles each. Sophomore Matt Holden (Convoy/Crestview) chipped in with two tackles and an interception.

The loss dropped the Beavers to 0-2 on the season, while the game marked the 2013 opener for Baldwin-Wallace. Next week the Beavers will host the Earlham College Quakers in their Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference season opener. That game is slated for 1:30 in Salzman Stadium.