Baseball: Beavers smash Anderson twice on Saturday

Stats http://www.bluffton.edu/athletics/baseball/2014/04-19-bb.htm

The Bluffton University baseball team ran out to a 10-2 lead midway through the sixth and held on for its fourth straight Heartland Conference series victory on Saturday, April 19, 2014. Bluffton improved to 16-14 overall and 9-9 in the HCAC, while Anderson dropped to 18-11 and 11-7 in the conference.

Jeff Roth's (Bellevue) RBI single in the second plated Christian Vail (Lucas) for a 1-0 lead following a two-out double by Bluffton's center fielder. An inning later, Tim Webb (Delaware/Worthington Christian) made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to center that picked up fellow senior David Ianiro (Highland Heights/Mayfield).

The visitors responded to an Anderson run in the bottom of the frame with three tallies in the top of the fourth. Webb laced a two-run single before junior Jake Townley (Mansfield/Madison) drove in Luke Hickey (Toledo/Whitmer) with a base hit.

Four Bluffton hits and an Anderson miscue added up to a four-spot for the Beavers in the top of the fifth. Hickey and Townley chipped in with RBI singles and Michael Alexander (Monroe) crossed the dish when Webb grounded into a double play.

The Ravens sandwiched single runs in the fifth and sixth around an RBI groundout by Alexander in the top of the sixth as Bluffton took a commanding 10-3 lead into the final third of the game.

A three-run eighth for the Ravens pulled Anderson within four, but freshman Taylor Gambrell (Bowling Green) came on with one out in the eighth and shut the home team down for his first save of the season.

Freshman starter Jaylen Von Sossan (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) worked around five walks, limiting Anderson to two runs on five hits in five innings of work. He also fanned four while improving to 2-1 on the season.

Jeff Roth was a perfect 5-of-5 with two runs scored and one RBI. Webb drove in three and Vail scored three times. Hickey and Townley added two hits apiece while Alexander and Ianiro both scored two runs in the victory.

Bluffton will enjoy Easter on Sunday before welcoming local rival Ohio Northern for a non-conference doubleheader on Monday, April 21. The first game is slated for 2 p.m. at Memorial Field.