The Lions traveled to Bluffton University on Saturday, April 4 for a doubleheader to kick off a three-game series against the Beavers, with each team coming out on top in a slugfest. The Mount won the first game, 16-9, while the Beavers, the top team in the HCAC, posted a victory in the nightcap, 17-8. The Mount and Bluffton return to Cincinnati on April 6 to complete the series, with the final nine inning game scheduled to be played at noon at Midland Field in Amelia, OH. The Lions currently have an 8-12 overall mark, 3-7 in conference play.
Bluffton jumped out to leads of 3-0 and 5-3 in game one on Saturday, only to see the Lions record a nine-run sixth inning off their starting pitcher. Zach Farmer (Hamilton, OH/Lakota West) and teammate Ryan McCauley (Canal Winchester, OH/Madison Christian) both recorded three-run doubles in that frame, giving the Mount a 12-5 lead. Bluffton would, however, narrow the deficit to 12-9 over the next two innings off the Lions' bullpen, before the Mount put the game away with four more runs in the eighth inning. Nick Browning (Fairfield, OH/Hamilton Badin) had the key hit in the final inning, ripping a two-run triple. Rick Paulinelli (Harrison, OH/Harrison) picked up the win in relief, his second in three decisions this season, tossing an inning. Farmer led a 13-hit Mount attack with three hits, while thre others had two hits each. Seven Lions' batters scored two runs each in the game, as the Mount went eight-for-17 with runners in scoring position and stranded just three runners on base.
The Beavers scored early and often against the Lions in game two, scoring at least one run in every inning but one - the ninth inning. The Mount trailed by a 9-5 score after five innings of play, with Nick Boardman (Cincinnati, OH/La Salle) blasting a two-run home run in the third inning - but would allow five runs in the sixth inning. Bluffton finished the game with 16 hits on four Mount pitchers, as starter Brandon Polking (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier) suffered the loss, going four innings on the mound. The Lions reached three Bluffton pitchers for 17 hits, as Browning, Boardman and McCauley each had three hits and Ronald Cotton (Florence, KY/Boone County) added four runs scored and a home run. Both teams left 12 runners on base.
