On May 23, the Bluffton High School baseball team saw its season end with a 17-0 loss to Liberty-Benton in the sectional final. The Pirates finished the year with a 3-14-1 record, having dropped a 12-2 decision to Paulding on May 21.
Liberty-Benton exploded for nine runs in the opening inning and added more in the second and third, building a commanding lead early in the game.
The Eagles out-hit the Pirates 14-1 and capitalized on five Bluffton errors, turning miscues into extra scoring opportunities.
Liberty-Benton's Early Onslaught
Jackson Knepper earned the win on the mound, delivering four innings of one-hit shutout pitching, while Kooper Leatherman drove in three runs with a pair of doubles.
Connor Barbara contributed two RBI and scored three times, and Grady Latta added two runs and three RBIs. Reid Irwin and Gavyn Neuleib each supplied key hits that extended the lead.
Bluffton's Pitching Struggles
Robby Taylor, the senior starting pitcher for Bluffton, took the loss as the Pirates could not contain the Eagles' offense.
The victory lifts Liberty-Benton to 17-5 and a spot in the district semifinals scheduled for May 28, where they will meet the winner of the Paulding-Fostoria matchup.
The district finals are set for May 30 in Defiance at 2 p.m., promising another test for the advancing team.