By Molly Burnell, sports information assistant
April 11, 2006

BLUFFTON, Ohio. - The Bluffton University softball team (8-17, 1-3 HCAC) dropped a pair of contests to the Huntington University Foresters on Tuesday, April 11, 2006. Huntington came out strong in both games, taking the first contest 6-1 and winning the second game by a score of 6-2. 

GAME ONE - HUNTINGTON 6, BLUFFTON 1

In the top of the third inning, FODE drove one over the fence to plate two runs for Huntington. 

Inning four saw the Foresters put together four runs to take a commanding 6-0 lead. A GOWERsingle with two on base pushed two runs across the plate as the Foresters took a four run lead. Another single by SCALLY drove in two more runs, giving Huntington a six run advantage midway through the game.

Bluffton came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning as freshman RANDI YEAGER(Harrison/Harrison) rapped a leadoff single. She stole second and scored when seniorMICHELLE MOTTER (Lakeview/Indian Lake) reached on a Forester error. 

Neither team could find their bats for the remainder of the game as the Bluffton and Huntington defense played their way to a 6-1 finish. 

Senior SARAH BETTS (Bryan/Bryan) took the loss for the Beavers and her record fell to 5-8 on the season. Yeager led Bluffton as she went 1-for-3 at the place and scored one run in the contest.    

GAME TWO - HUNTINGTON 6, BLUFFTON 2

The Foresters started out the second game hot as an APRIL SNIDER, sister of former Bluffton standout Mandy Snider, triple set her up to score on a wild pitch. A BADENHOP single with one on base scored another run for Huntington, as the Foresters took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Junior CARRIE WEISBECKER (Okeana/Ross) walked in the bottom of the first and advanced to second on a Yeager single but would get no further as freshman LINDSEY MILLER(Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) grounded out to the pitcher to end the frame.

Huntington opened the second with an AHL single to right field to put a runner on base. A STAHL homer plated two more runs for the Foresters and pushed their lead to 4-0 at the end of the second inning. 

The top of the third started out with a Snider single. Snider stole second and moved to third on a passed ball by the Beavers. Badenhop then knocked in Snider on a single that gave Huntington a 5-0 lead.

Sophomore SARAH NUSBAUM (Fairview/Fairview) singled to start off the third inning for Bluffton. Weisbecker followed with a single of her own and moved Nusbaum to second. Nusbaum and Weisbecker each advanced a base on a Forester wild pitch. Miller then ripped a single of her own to score both baserunners. Bluffton put two runs on the scoreboard and made it a three run contest, 5-2. 

Pitching and defense ruled over the next few innings. A Fode double to right field scored Snider in the top of the seventh inning to give Huntington an insurance run and push its lead to 6-2.

Motter reached on an infield single, but the Beavers could not manage any more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Foresters took the game by a final score of 6-2. 

Sophomore TONYA DEAN (Kettering/Kettering) picked up the loss for Bluffton as she gave up five runs in three innings of work.

Weisbecker led Bluffton as she went 2-for-3 at the place, including a fifth inning double. Lindsey Miller picked up one hit and knocked in two runs. 

Bluffton returns to action on Thursday, April 13, 2006, when it travels to Hanover College for a single game. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

-BEAVERS-