Another late surge sinks Defiance as Bluffton sweeps series

Final: Bluffton 5, Defiance 2
Win: Jaden Jaques (3-1)
Loss: Joseph O'Neil (0-3)
Save: Nathan Young (1)
Box Score: Click here

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College baseball lost their seventh straight contest, 5-2, after being swept in their three-game series against the Bluffton Beavers on Monday at Rutter Field.

The Beavers (11-7, 5-1 HCAC) filled the bases in the sixth after Yellow Jacket (3-15, 0-5 HCAC) starter Joseph O'Neil (Loss, 0-3) issued a walk to his final hitter of the game. He handed the ball over to Blake Bowman and the lefty walked in the go-ahead run followed by an infield single put Bluffton on top 4-2. DC shortstop Garret Long made a diving stop on the grounder to keep the ball on the infield and limit further damage.

The first four Beaver runs were charged to O'Neil. Bluffton climbed on the board in the second frame with three straight hits and a four-hit frame by the five through nine slots in the lineup. O'Neil allowed a leadoff hit to start the third before he sailed through the next three scoreless innings.

The Jackets chipped away with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game 2-2, each capitalizing on errors in each frame by Bluffton. Defiance's Jacob Hild recorded their first hit on a two-out double in the fourth. He scooted up to third on a wild pitch and then scored DC's first run on a mishandled grounder to shortstop off the bat of Ethan Jenkins. 

Similarly during the fifth, Alex Morr socked a one-out single and scored on a bunt single by Mitchell Roever combined with a throwing error to first by Bluffton's backstop that went up the right field line. Both runs charged to Beavers starting pitcher Jaden Jaques (Win, 3-1) were unearned.

Bluffton called up left-hander Ethan Young (Save, 1) in relief and he navigated the remaining four innings on the mound to earn the save. The Jackets mustered just two hits against Young, who struck out six hitters and did not issue a walk.

Bowman came two outs short of finishing the contest on the mound for Defiance. His 2.2 innings were featured by striking out the side in the eighth. In the ninth, Bluffton strung together three straight singles with one out in the ninth inning to add a valuable insurance run. Head coach Ben Babcock called upon Johnny Hammerstein to finish the top of the ninth and he struck out both batters he faced.

Double plays were all over the scorecard for both teams with Defiance turning twin killers defensively and hitting into two of their own.

The Yellow Jackets return on Friday with an HCAC doubleheader against Manchester. First pitch of the first game is set for 1 p.m. followed by the second game approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first.

-JACKETS-