BLUFFTON, Ohio – Two Baldwin Wallace University men's soccer players recorded their first career hat tricks in the Yellow Jackets 6-2 win over Bluffton University.

Sophomore All-Ohio Athletic Conference forward Danny Ruple (Berea/Berea-Midpark) earned his first career hat trick in the first 15 minutes of the game while freshman forward Michael Snowball (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) recorded his hat trick in the second half.

Coming off his golden goal against Wooster, Ruple opened up the scoring in the fourth minute with a shot from the far left wing from Snowball, who earned his second assist in as many games.

After two more shots by Ruple and Snowball, the sophomore scored the game's second goal unassisted from the top of the box in the seventh minute off a bad touch which he was able to pull out and send around the goalkeeper.

Ruple capped off his hat trick in the 15th minute with an assist from sophomore midfielder Joey Geither (Parma/Normandy). The Yellow Jackets were not without opportunities to add to the lead in the first half, taking 13 of its 22 first half shots before heading to the locker room.  

Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets kept the Beavers contained in their half of the field, holding them shotless in the entire first half.

There would not be only one hat trick in the game, however. Snowball recorded the Yellow Jackets three goals of the second half. The first goal came in the 53rd minute when sophomore midfielder Timmy Jonas (Fairview Park/St. Edward) served up a corner kick that the freshman headed into the net. In the 60th minute, Ruple gave an assist from the left side which Snowball finished in the net. His third goal came in the 62nd minute for his first career hat trick with his second header off an assist from sophomore midfielder Rafael Davalos (Kettering/Alter).

Bluffton got in the scoreboard late in the 74th minute when freshman defender/midfielder Dimitri Giakoumas scored his first goal of the season and added on in the 79th minute with a goal from freshman midfielder/forward Zack Ellison. Following the two Beaver goals, then Yellow Jacket defense locked down and did not allow a shot in the final 10 minutes.

The Yellow Jackets dominated possession in the offensive third, taking 47 shots and putting 18 of them on goal while Bluffton scored twice on four shots, three of which were on goal. While senior goalkeeper Ryan Asbury (Cincinnati/Turpin) started the game in goal, junior Academic All-OAC goalkeeper Brian Haviland (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) was credited with BW's only save on the afternoon in his first action of the season.

BW will hit the road once again as they travel to Oberlin to take on non-conference foe Oberlin College on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.