Baseball Game Preview: Blackford Bruins vs. Bluffton Tigers

The Blackford Bruins will head out on the road to take on the Bluffton Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Blackford made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Community, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Bruins blew past the Vikings/Viqueens 16-1 on Friday.

Trey McIntire was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.

Max Bonewit

Runs (Career)

04/04/25 @ Community	2
04/04/25 @ Community	1
05/23/24 vs Eastbrook	1
05/18/24 @ Eastern Hancock	1
05/18/24 @ Eastern Hancock	1

In other batting news, Blackford let Max Bonewit and Cole Dickey run wild. Bonewit scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances, while Dickey scored two runs while going 3-for-4. Those two runs gave Bonewit a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Clayton Heflin, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Bluffton gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Tuesday. They skirted past New Haven 11-10. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Tigers have posted since May 2, 2024.

Trevor Smith was excellent, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Axton Beste, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI.

Blackford came up short against Bluffton in their previous meeting back in April of 2023, falling 15-10. Can the Bruins avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.