By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__The Bluffton High School baseball team was doubled up by visiting Lima Central Catholic, 12-6, in a non-league game Tuesday, April 16.

The Pirates fell to 3-4 with the loss, while LCC improved to 3-2 after the win.

LCC took the lead with four runs in the top of the second inning, but the Pirates responded with three runs in the home second.

Bluffton tied it 4-4 by pushing across a single run in the third.

LCC spurted back in front 8-4 with three runs in the fourth, and one more tally in the fifth. 

A four-run outburst in the top of the sixth extended the T-Bird margin to 12-4. The Pirates mustered two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but could get no closer.

LCC out-hit the Pirates, 8-5. The Thunderbirds smacked five doubles, while all five Pirate hits were singles. Luke Jebsen, Landen Worcester, Jacob Granger, Braeden Jordan and Quinn Eachus had the hits.

Eachus scored two runs and swiped two bases. Granger, Jordan, Evan Speicher and Brody Anderson each tallied single runs. Kerry Wright added two steals.

T-Bird senior Billy Bourk hit two doubles and drove in two runs while scoring two runs. Matthew Quatman contributed a double, two RBI, a pair of walks and a run.

Winning pitcher Carson Parker struck out four and walked four over seven innings on 108 pitches. He scattered five hits and allowed two earned runs. Parker, a 6-3 senior, also doubled home a run to aid his own cause.

Nine of the 12 LCC runs were earned. The T-Birds committed five errors to just one miscue by the Pirates. Both teams stranded seven runners.

Anderson hurled the first three innings for Bluffton, walking six and giving up three runs on three hits to suffer the loss. Four relievers pitched one inning apiece to finish the game for the Pirates.

SCOREBOARD

         1 2 3   4 5 6   7     R  H  E

LCC  0 4 0   3 1 4   0   12  8  5

BLU  0 3 1   0 0 2   0     6  5  1

WP-C. Parker LP-Anderson

2B-Bourk 2 (L), Quatman (L), Schnieders (L), Parker (L)