RICHMOND, Ind. – The Earlham College baseball team split its Sunday doubleheader with Bluffton University to kick off the weekend series.
GAME ONE: EARLHAM 1 BLUFFTON 6
Hayden Scalf opened the series on the mound, and the reigning HCAC Pitcher of the Week went six innings with five earned runs and 11 hits while scoring eight strikeouts.
Dillon Bandi threw the final inning, recording two strikeouts.
Mitchell Roether went 1-3 with a double and one RBI.
Reece Zonts scored the run, and had one hit.
After the Quakers put two runners on with no outs in the first inning,
Noah Wagster hit a lineout into a diving catch by the Beaver shortstop, who then made a quick jump up to throw the runner out at second on the tag-up. The Beavers then took the lead in the top of the second inning, scoring two runs on four hits, and stranding three. Bluffton also scored one run each in the third and fourth innings.
Trailing 4-0, Zonts hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth inning, and came all the way around to score on a right-field double by Roether.
GAME TWO: EARLHAM 4 BLUFFTON 3
Kyle Jeffries opened game two, and went eight innings with only two earned runs, and four strikeouts on nine hits.
Garret Odey tossed the final inning, and allowed one hit.
Jonathan Jimenez went 3-5 with three steals, two runs scored, and one RBI.
Sean Jeffries went 2-4 with a steal and an RBI, and
Quin Adelson also had a multi-hit game with two singles.
Bluffton hit a one-out single in the first inning, leading to an RBI-double to take another early lead. The Beavers followed it up with a run on two hits in the top of the second inning.
Trailing 2-0 in the third, Jimenez hit a leadoff single, and stole second base, advancing to third on an errant throw. With one out and Jimenez on third, Jeffries delivered a single to center field for an RBI.
The Quakers tied the game in the bottom of the eighth with two runs on three hits and an error. Jimenez hit a one-out single, and stole second. The Quakers then executed a double-steal with Jimenez and Zonts both moving forward a base. Jeffries then hit a single to the bag at third base to load the bases with one out. Roether brought the first run of the inning in with a sacrifice fly to left field, and
Noah Rosato hit a single to center field that brought in Zonts as the tying run.
Earlham made its first call to the bullpen in the top of the ninth, and got a shutout inning from Odey to set up the offense for the walk-off win.
Dylan Rieck earned a one-out walk, and advanced on a throwing error by the Beaver pitcher. Earlham loaded the bases with one out, and Jimenez hit an RBI-single to give the Quakers another conference win.
Earlham hosts the Beavers for the rubber match tomorrow evening. First pitch is scheduled for 7 pm.
