BLUFFTON, OHIO – Manchester University produced an 11-hit attack in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference series finale at Bluffton University Sunday, April 12.

However, Bluffton University, claiming a 2-1 series decision, came back from a 5-2 seventh inning deficit with a four-run outburst in the seventh and then broke a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the ninth with a game-winning sacrifice fly for a 7-6 win.

Junior catcher Elliot Ford (Rome City, Ind.) and senior outfielder Justin Miller (Yorktown, Ind.) guided MU. Ford went two-for-four with two runs scored, while Miller wound up three-for-four with an RBI.

The Spartans (14-10 overall, 7-7 HCAC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three and a half frames on the host Beavers (17-10, 10-5 HCAC), as senior outfielder Kyle Norris (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored on a passed ball in the first and junior outfielder Sean Knepper (Bremen, Ind.) and sophomore designated hitter Chad Schultz (Fair Oaks, Ind.) brought in runs with a ground out and single in the fourth. BU answered the Black and Gold's offensive spark with two in the fourth, but the visitors extended the lead to 5-2 with a pair of tallies in the seventh, as Norris and senior third baseman Jordan Nieman (Michigan City, Ind.) produced run-scoring singles.

Despite the defeat, Manchester University remains a strong part of the postseason tourney landscape. They go into a trip to Anderson University Tuesday, April 14, just a game and a half out of the top four and only two and a half separated from first place. First pitch at AU is set for 4:15 p.m.

NOTES: Nieman moved his hit and on-base streaks to 27 each, while sophomore first baseman Tailur Szarenski (Bluffton, Ind.) and Norris upped their on-base skeins to 27 and 20, respectively.