Late-inning ties break for Bluffton in doubleheader sweep at Defiance

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Both games of Sunday's doubleheader between the Defiance Yellow Jackets and Bluffton Beavers were all square through four innings, but timely hitting boosted the Beavers to a pair of victories, 7-3 and 14-4, in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action at DC's Rutter Field.

Game 1
Final: Bluffton 7, Defiance 3
Win: Jacob Boelkens (2-1)
Loss: Cohen Nies (2-2)
Save: Jake Shaver (1)
Box Score: Click here

Both starters turned in quality starts during the first game, but the highlight came from a pinch-hit, two-run double by Bluffton's Kenny Schneider that snapped a 1-1 tie with two outs in the top of the sixth.

Defiance's Cohen Nies (Loss, 2-2) was dealt a tough-luck defeat by holding Bluffton to three runs through six innings of work and recorded a season-best eight strikeouts. Nies mowed down six of his first 11 hitters faced and tip-toed around six walks. His last free pass put two runners on with one away in the sixth before he induced an infield fly. Schneider's number was called on the next hitter and delivered the clutch knock for Bluffton.

Bluffton starter Jacob Boelkens (Win, 2-1) was economical in navigating seven innings on one walk, four punchouts and six hits while yielding three Defiance runs. Boelkens stranded two Jackets on the bases in the first before settling in and scattered four Defiance hits the rest of the outing. Boelkens' only walk led to a 1-1 tie in the fifth as the righty walked DC's leadoff hitter. 

The Jackets and Beavers traded two-run innings in the seventh. Bluffton got to Defiance reliever Tyler Sickmiller on RBI hits from Bluffton's JackTowell and Nick Diana ahead of the Jackets used a first-and-third situation to sneak one in followed by a sacrifice fly.

Johnny Hammerstein anchored Defiance on the hill for the final 2.1 innings, surrendering a pair of unearned runs in the ninth to give the Beavers a four-run cushion at the end.

Game 2
Final: Bluffton 14, Defiance 4 (8 innings)
Win: Seth Altman (1-1)
Loss: Sam Thombs (0-5)
Save: None
Box Score: Click here

The second game did not have the same drama as the first and resulted in a run-rule victory for Bluffton.

The rivals combined for seven runs in the first inning after similar offensive outputs to close the first ballgame. Bluffton's Justin Maurer unloaded on a three-run homer to left-center to create a 3-0 lead. The Beavers kept it rolling with a walk to Schneider and a Deitering double whipped up a 4-0 edge. Defiance answered in the home half of the inning to get the first four hitters on base. Trent Murdock hammered a two-run double to left followed by an RBI single from Hunter Bostater to bring DC within one.

The Jackets tied the contest at 4-4 during the third. Mitchell Roever worked a leadoff walk and was moved up by an Austin Horning single before coming home on Murdock's sacrifice fly. 

Bluffton exploded for five runs in the fifth and ran Defiance starter Sam Thombs (Loss, 0-5). Thombs threw up three zeroes after the four-run fourth, but the Beavers connected on hits by four of the first five batters of the fifth, including a pair of doubles. He handed two runners over to reliever Jeff Varga and they scored immediately on a two-run single to center by Austin Francis. Another Bluffton run came in on a two-out throwing error at third by Murdock.

Bluffton flirted with the run rule after plating four more, but Ethan Jenkins snuck out of the inning by recording all three outs while an inherited runner was doubled in by Towell. The Beavers got the run they needed to get up by 10 during the eighth on an RBI groundout to second base after consecutive singles to start the inning.

Seth Altman (Win, 1-1) recorded five scoreless innings of relief for Bluffton and shut Defiance's offense down while notching his first winning decision. The Jackets had just two runners reach second against Altman and he retired the final six hitters of the contest.

Bostater led Defiance offensively by going 2-for-4 with a double in each game featuring an RBI in the second contest. Alex Morr compiled a 3-for-7 afternoon with a multi-hit game in the late game while Murdock tallied three RBIs in the second ballgame.

The Yellow Jackets and Beavers conclude their three-game conference series on Monday afternoon with a 4 p.m. first pitch at Rutter Field in Defiance.

-JACKETS-