RICHMOND, Ind. - The Bluffton University baseball team was six outs away from a series victory at Earlham on Monday, April 7, but the Quakers took advantage of the Beaver bullpen with four runs in the eighth and the game winner in the ninth for a 6-5 walkoff victory. Bluffton fell to 5-18 overall and 3-7 in the Heartland Conference following the second straight Earlham walkoff. The Quakers improved to 12-12 on the season and 6-4 in the HCAC.

Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) walked in the top of the third and following an Ayden Spriggs (North Lewisburg/Triad) single he crossed the dish for a 1-0 lead courtesy of an Earlham wild pitch.

Senior Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) doubled home Jack Towell (Batavia/West Clermont) in the fifth. Earlham got on the board in the home half with a run before two straight scoreless frames set the stage for a wild finish.

Pinch runner Trey Pipenger (Richmond, Ind.) crossed the dish thanks to an Earlham error in the top of the eighth and senior Brody Hammersley (Coshocton) did his thing, smacking a two-run single to left that plated Baumgartner and Jake McCoy (Milford) for a 5-1 Bluffton lead heading to the home half. That is when the wild took center stage. Four hit batters, a walk and an error added up to four runs despite just two base hits for the Quakers.

Earlham worked around a one-out walk in the ninth and then the wild reared its ugly head once again. A walk, a hit batter and an errant pickoff throw sent the Beavers to their second heartbreaking loss in 27 hours.

Sophomore Matthew Becher (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) put together Bluffton's third outstanding start of the series but he was denied a victory when Earlham plated five runs over the final two innings. He scattered six hits and four walks over seven dominating innings. Freshman Deegan Yutzy (Mogodore/Field) took the loss after allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts and a walk in 1.1 innings of relief.

Spriggs went 4-of-5 and Towell was 2-for-6 with a run scored. Hammersley drove in two, while Baumgartner crossed the dish twice.

Bluffton will suit it up again on Wednesday, April 9, when Wittenberg treks to Memorial Field for a 4:15 non-conference tussle.

-BEAVERS-