RICHMOND, Indiana - The Earlham College baseball team won its seventh consecutive game over Bluffton University, defeating the Beavers 9-1 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) action at Randal R. Sadler Stadium on Tuesday.

Bluffton got on the board first with an unearned run in the top of the second, but Earlham responded with three runs on four hits to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom half of the inning. After the Beavers were retired in order in the top of the third, the Quakers plated three unearned runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-1 lead.

Earlham added another run on an RBI-single from senior Brennan Laird in the fourth, and closed the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Freshman starter Kyle Gorman earned his second complete game against Bluffton in his career, allowing five hits compared to six strikeouts and one walk. Taylor Gambrell took the loss for the Beavers, allowing six earned runs in five innings pitched.

Laird finished 3-4 with two RBIs while senior Cody Krumlauf tallied three hits and scored two runs. Five Beavers had one hit each.

Earlham, which won its 12th straight HCAC midweek contest, improves to 19-11 overall and 14-6 in HCAC play. The Quakers currently sit one game behind defending champion Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with seven regular season conference games remaining.

The Quakers step out of HCAC play for the final time tomorrow (Wednesday) for a 6 p.m. road contest at Wittenberg University.