Here's a recap of this past weekend's Bluffton University athletic competition.

Montez Archer Jr. (Detroit, Mich.) Bluffton cornerback, first-year -
For the second straight game, Archer Jr. equaled the school record with three interceptions. He also led the Beaver defense with nine solo tackles. His six pickoffs through three games are just two away from the school single-season record of eight.

Last week Archer took a fumble to the house and he followed that up with a 70-yard punt return for a score against Anderson on Saturday. He also had a 31-yard punt return against the Ravens, giving Archer 101 punt return yards.

Football
The Bluffton University football team was back in action after an impressive 49-14 victory last Saturday, as they hosted Anderson on March 13 in the spring home opener.

After 60 minutes of play and a hard-fought battle, the Beavers prevailed, 35-27, over the Ravens.

Bluffton moved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Heartland Conference, while Anderson fell to 0-2 on both accounts. It marks just the second time since 1999 that the Beavers have opened the season with a 3-0 mark, the other being in 2016 when Bluffton went 7-3 after that 3-0 start.

The Beavers came out firing on all cylinders as they marched down the field on their first possession. The drive was capped off by a one-yard score from senior Darian Greeley (Belleville, Mich./Chippewa Valley). On Anderson's ensuing offensive possession, freshman phenom Montez Archer Jr. (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) picked off the Ravens for his first turnover of the game.

After a Bluffton punt, sophomore Martez Nabors (Redford, Mich./Thurston) made it two turnovers on two drives for the Ravens with his pickoff at the Bluffton 23-yard line.

Later in the quarter, junior quarterback Zachary Nobis (Bryan) connected with former signal-caller Ryan Markoff (Centerville, Ohio/Archbishop Alter/Valparaiso University) for an 11-yard touchdown and a 14-0 advantage heading into the second quarter.

Midway through period number two, Nobis threw a deep ball to SaCari Reese (Southfield, Mich./Oak Park) for a 44-yard score. The Beaver defense stood tall on the next possession and then Archer did the rest as he took Anderson's punt 70 yards to the house for a 28-7 Bluffton advantage.

On the last play of the half after the clock appeared to strike all zeros, Anderson was able to punch it in for six as the Ravens tightened the gap, 28-13, heading into half.

Coming out of the intermission, Anderson would control the entire third quarter as they showed how they scored 48 points on Franklin a week ago. They connected on their 2-point conversion following a 39-yard scoring strike from Tyson Harley to James Tucker, making the score 28-21.

On the ensuing kickoff they blasted the ball off Bluffton just past the line of scrimmage and recovered the carom less than three minutes into the second half. Again they would take the ball right down the field and score. Quickly the Beavers lead was cut to just one as the extra point was blocked, keeping Anderson from knotting the game (28-27).

Anderson was knocking on the door early in the fourth when none other than Archer came up with a crucial interception on the 2-yard line. The Beavers moved the ball down the field and Greeley punched it in from 10 yards out. With the score 35-27, the Ravens had one last chance to tie it up.

Anderson moved the chains three times and the Ravens were closing in on the red zone when Archer came up with the game-saving interception on a tipped pass with just a 1:38 to play! Bluffton put it in victory formation to run out the clock and stay undefeated as the scoreboard posted a 35-27 advantage for the home team.

Bluffton garnered 359 yards of total offense on just 50 plays (7.4 yards per play). The Beavers held Anderson to 440 total yards, 260 fewer than the 700 they put up a week ago against Franklin.

The home team ran for 223 yards, compared to 136 for the Ravens. Bluffton saw just six third downs for game, converting half of them, while AU was 14-of-25 on third down and 5-of-7 on fourth down attempts. Both teams converted three red zone opportunities

Nobis went 12-of-19 passing for 126 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Greeley led the ground game with 171 yards rushing on 19 attempts and two touchdowns of his own.

Archer Jr. and Brady Hauenstein (Findlay, Ohio/Columbus Grove) led the Beaver defense with nine solo tackles apiece. Nick Perry (Northwood, Ohio/Lake) was in on 13 total stops, while Nolan Childress (Cleveland/Ginn Academy) added 12 tackles for the Beavers.

For the second straight game, Archer Jr. equaled the school record with three interceptions. Last week he took a fumble to the house and he followed that up with a 70-yard punt return for a score against Anderson! His six pickoffs through three games are just two away from the school single-season record of eight held by Paul Hostettler (1967) and Steve Risley (1986).

Bluffton will be back in action next Saturday, March 20, when they travel to take on pre-season favorite Hanover College while looking to stay unbeaten. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m.

Men’s soccer
The Bluffton men's squad found their rhythm on Saturday, March 13, in Indiana. Looking smooth and on the same page from the first goal until the clock hit 0:00, the men's team earned their first win of the year and their first win with Head Coach Robert Richardson at the helm.

 The Beavers destroyed the Ravens with a 3-1 victory in a match that never felt close. It marked the first Bluffton victory over Anderson since 2011, snapping a string of eight straight setbacks at the hands of AU.

Dalton Taynor (Troy/Miami East) had himself a day with two goals. His first came in the opening period at the 11:02 mark, giving the Beavers an early 1-0 lead. At the 31-minute mark he had more of the same, striking again. Jacob Kiger (Groveport/St. Charles Prep) had the nice assist on goal number two for Taynor.

Anderson answered back with their own tally right before the half, giving the Beavers a 2-1 lead after 45 minutes of action. Elijah Grieser (Wauseon/Pettisville) got on the board thanks to an assist from freshman Elijah Zimmerman (Archbold). The Beaver defense did the rest as Bluffton nailed down victory number one of the season, convincingly, 3-1 at Anderson.

Sophomore Tanner Newport (Strongsville) was smooth between the pipes, racking up five saves for the victors. Grieser and Zimmerman both fired three shots, while Taynor, Kiger and Maxwell Kennedy (Hamilton, Va./Loudoun Valley) chipped in with two shots each.

The team shots were not close with Bluffton having just 13, compared to 24 for the Ravens. The Beavers also came up short in corner kick battle with Anderson forcing 10, compared to just four opportunities for the Beavers.

The men's team is back in action on Wednesday, March 17, at home. Bluffton will welcome Earlham College for a 3:30 p.m. matchup on the Salzman Stadium pitch.

Women’s soccer
The Bluffton women lost a tough one on Saturday, March 13, at the hands of the Anderson University Ravens. Despite the beautiful weather and a good fight from the Beavers, the home team fended them off for the 1-0 victory. Bluffton falls to 0-4 on the season and 0-3 in the HCAC, while Anderson evened up its season and HCAC marks at 2-2.

At the 17:01 mark, the Ravens netted the only goal of the match. Taylor Baker did it all herself with no assist needed. The Beavers tried to fight back, but they were unable to find the back of the net.

Senior Maddie Huffman (Maineville/Little Miami) had a team-high two shots for the Beavers. Freshman Ashton Curnutte (Urbana) finished with five saves in her first collegiate start.

Anderson fired seven more shots than the Beavers for a 13-6 advantage. Bluffton had five saves, compared to none for the Ravens. Corner kicks were close to even with Anderson forcing two, one more than the visiting Beavers.

Bluffton will be back in action next Wednesday, March 17, when the Beavers travel to Richmond, Ind., for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Earlham College in search of their first HCAC win.

Softball
The Bluffton University softball team was on its home field for a regular-season game for the first time since 2019 when the Beavers welcomed Albion College on Sunday, March 14, 2021. Bluffton slipped to 0-4 on the season while the Britons stand at 2-0 following the sweep.

The visitors went up 1-0 in the first but Bluffton fired back with runs in the third and fourth for a 2-1 lead heading to the fifth. Bobbi Adams (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) and Erin Norman (Pleasant Hill/Newton) laced RBI singles as the Beavers went ahead of Albion.

An inside-the-park homer for Albion down the right field line knotted the game at 2-2 in the fifth and then the Britons opened it up three more scores in the sixth courtesy of three Bluffton errors. The Beavers put two runners on in the bottom of the frame, but Albion cashed in game one with a 5-2 victory.

Adams led the Beavers with three hits and Taylor Steinke (Findlay) chipped in with a pair of safeties. Norman dropped her first decision of the season after allowing five runs, just two earned, on eight hits in six innings of work. She struck out two and walked one. 

Albion took a 1-0 lead in the second and held that advantage until the bottom of the sixth when Bluffton pushed two runs across the plate with two outs. Steinke ripped a shot down in the right field corner and motored around the bases for an inside-the-park homer that made the score 2-2. Two Albion erors allowed Marissa Auvil (North Canton/Hoover) to put the Beavers up 3-2 going to the seventh.

The Britons took advantage of an infield single and dropped fly ball in the seventh as the visitors plated two runs to re-take the lead, 3-2. Sydney Bowen (Convoy/Crestview) and Brianna Baker (Defiance/Ayersville) were on the corners in the home half when Steinke's laser to right center found an Albion glove, sealing the 3-2 Briton victory.

Adams added two more hits in game two, giving her five for the day. Birthday girl Katie McCord (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) was sensational in the circle, allowing just one run on six hits during her six innings of work. She fanned three and did not issue a free pass. 

Grace Fillinger (Hinckley/Highland) fell to 0-2 after allowing two runs on two hits in the seventh inning.

Bluffton will jump back into action on Tuesday, March 16, when the Beavers travel to North Manchester, Ind., for a date with the Manchester University Spartans. Game one is slated for 3:30 p.m.

More softball
The Bluffton University softball team was ecstatic to be back on the field after having the 2020 season limited to 10 games due to COVID-19 and even a sweep at Franklin College could not dampen their spirits on a beautiful Saturday, March 13, 2021. Bluffton opens its season with a 0-2 mark, while the Grizzlies improved to 5-3.

Bluffton trailed just 2-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth in game one when the floodgates opened for Franklin. The Grizzlies pasted a seven-spot on the scoreboard to take the opener 9-0 in mercy-rule fashion.

Lily Tate (Mount Gilead/Northmor) smacked two of Bluffton's four hits, including a leadoff double to start the game. Grace Fillinger (Hinckley/Highland) worked four strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Game two saw Bluffton go up 1-0 when Taylor Shimp's (St. Marys/Memorial) bases-loaded walk pushed Marissa Auvil (Canton/North Canton Hoover) across the plate. Unfortunately, the home team scored three runs in the bottom half and eventually pushed its spread to 8-1 after six innings.

Bluffton made a game of it in the seventh, plating four runs and highlighted by a two-run Shimp base knock, but it was too little, too late as Franklin capped off its sweep with an 8-5 victory.

Sydney Bowen (Convoy/Crestview) rapped a team-best three hits while Shimp drove in three runs. Brianna Baker (Defiance/Ayersville) added a pair of safeties for the visitors.

Senior Katie McCord (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) went the distance, allowing eight runs, six earned, on 11 hits in six innings of work. She struck out three and walked two.

Bluffton will jump right back into action on Sunday, March 14, when the Beavers welcome Albion College for the 2021 home opener. The first contest is slated for 1 p.m.

Baseball
The Beavers headed to Richmond, Ind., to take on the Earlham College Quakers in a double header on a beautiful Saturday, March 13, 2021.

Earlham took game one by an 8-1 count before Bluffton secured a split with a 5-2 win in game two. Bluffton moved to 1-4 (1-4 HCAC) on the season, while Earlham stands 5-1 following it first loss of 2021. 

In game one, Senior, Garrett O'Reilly (Galena/Orange) was on the hill for the Beavers while Joey Gerbus toed the rubber for the Quakers.  

The Beavers threatened early in the first as senior Jacob Latkofsky (Temperance, MI/Ida) roped a double to the gap in left center, but the Beaver bats were unable to bring him home.

Earlham opened up the scoring in the third when Embry doubled and Lancianese singled. Embry then scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaiah Shake.

In the bottom of the fourth, Brian Pincura tripled down the right field line scoring Austin Hatfield and Danny Dopp. Shake picked up Nathan Lancianese with a sacrifice fly an inning later to make 4-0 Quakers. Robby Shondel singled home Brian Pincura in the bottom of the 6th before Nathan Lancianese smashed a triple in the left field gap, scoring Embry and Shondel. After six innings, the Quakers held a commanding 7-0 lead over the Beavers. 

The Beaver lineup hit the ball well all day, putting runners in scoring position, but couldn't deliver a a significant blow with runners on base. That changed in the top of the eighth inning when senior Lenny Winiarski (Cincinnait/LaSalle) tripled and then scored on a wild pitch. Earlham responded in the bottom half thanks to a Nathan Lancianese single which picked up James Grace.  

O'Reilly was tagged with the loss for Bluffton. He worked five innings, giving up four earned runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeoouts.

Jaden Jaques (New Palestine, IN) worked two innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits. Fellow sophomore Jacob Boelkens (Millbury/Lake) worked the top of the 8th, giving up one run on one hit with a walk. He also struck out two Quakers.  

Joey Gerbus worked eight strong innings, giving up one run on seven hits with two walks. Gerbus also fanned eight Bluffton batters on his way to earning victory number three on the season.

Winiarski was 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored while Latkofsky chipped in with a two-bagger.

Bluffton bounced back quickly with four runs in the top of the first to start game two. An O'Reilly double down the left field line plated Reid Ruhl (Hamilton) and Latkofsky. Jack Towell (Batavia) scored on a wild pitch and O'Reilly crossed the dish on Kenny Schneider's (Sunbury/Big Walnut) ground ball.

Earlham tried to claw back with single tallies in the third and fourth, but Tommy Siemer (Liberty Township/Lakota East) continued to deal, keeping the Quakers off the scoreboard in innings five, six and seven.

The visitors tacked on an insurance run in the ninth thanks to a walk to Rogan, base hit by Ruhl and fielding error in the Quaker outfield. Junior Jacob Daulton (Batavia) shut down Earlham in the eighth and ninth for his first career save.

Siemer earned the victory, allowing just two runs on five hits in seven superb innings of work. He fanned seven and did not issue a free pass.

Ruhl and O'Reilly paced the Bluffton offense with three hits apiece. O'Reilly drove in two runs for the Beavers.

Bluffton will return to action when the Beavers welcome Rose-Hulman for the home opener on Saturday, March 20. The first game has been moved up and will start at 12 p.m.