Heidelberg Wins Slugfest at Bluffton

A combined 49 runs were plated in an eight-inning game between Heidelberg University and Bluffton University today at Memorial Field in Bluffton, Ohio. Prevailing in the end was the Berg with a 29-20 victory. The non-conference contest was slated to be a nine-inning game, but was shortened due to darkness. 
 
Heidelberg, ranked third in the latest D3baseball.com national poll, improves to 11-2 overall, while the Beavers fall to 5-7. The Berg finished with 24 hits, while Bluffton connected for 23. Twelve ’Berg players recorded an at bat and 11 came up with a hit, with seven registering a multiple-hit outing.
 
Heidelberg opened the contest with four straight hits and never looked back en route to scoring eight runs. Bluffton cut its deficit to six with two runs in the bottom half of the first.
 
Bluffton and Heidelberg played to a 4-4 tie over the course of innings two through four, but the Berg still controlled the scoreboard, 12-6.
 
Heidelberg increased its advantage to 15-6 with three runs in the seventh, but Bluffton battled back. The host Beavers plated nine runs in the bottom half of the sixth to tie the game at 15 apiece.
 
The Berg did not falter, as Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) led the seventh off with a double to swing the games momentum back to the Berg. Biagio Boytim (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) knocked a double to center field to score Lash, which was the first of seven runs in the inning for Heidelberg. The Berg picked up five hits and took advantage of two Bluffton miscues to break the tie and take a 22-15 lead.
 
Bluffton scored five in the seventh to pull within two runs at 22-20, but were held scoreless the remainder of the contest, while Heidelberg added seven more runs in the eighth to push the final score to 29-20.
 
Picking up the win on the mound was Nathan James (Rockport, Ind. / South Spencer). James threw 1.1 innings of relief and gave up seven hits and six runs, three earned, while striking out two.
 
Leading the way at the plate was Jack Bault (Randolph, Ohio / Waterloo) with a 4-for-6 outing, including two doubles and a triple, while knocking in six runs and scoring five times. Also going 4-for-6 was Willie Brechun (Canton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic). Brechun finished with three doubles, three RBI and five runs scored. Jeremy Wentworth (Jamestown, Ohio / St. Charles) also scored five times, while picking up three hits, highlighted by a triple. Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland) finished with three hits, including two doubles, while knocking in four runs.
 
Also picking up extra base hits was Steve Decker (Maumee, Ohio / Springfield) and Boytim with doubles and connecting for a home run was Lash.
 
Heidelberg returns to action tomorrow at Ohio Wesleyan University. First pitch is slated for 4:00 p.m.