May 1, 2006
By Molly Burnell, sports information assistant

The Bluffton University softball team (14-21, 7-7 HCAC) dropped a doubleheader at Defiance College on Sunday, April 30, 2006. Bluffton lost game one 6-1 and fell in game two 4-2. 

GAME ONE - DEFIANCE 6, BLUFFTON 1

Bluffton was set down in order in the first inning which brought the Yellow Jackets up to bat. ALLEN started things off for Defiance with a single. A sacrifice bunt by SMITH moved Allen to second before a STEFFEN walk put two Jackets on base. A SUGG double to right center field scored both runners and put Defiance on top by a score of 2-0. 

The Beavers came alive in the fourth inning as sophomore SARAH NUSBAUM(Fariveiw/Fairview) singled up the middle to set up a sac bunt by senior LINDSAY MILLER(Grover Hill/Wayne Trace) which moved Nusbaum to second. Junior CARRIE WEISBECKER(Okeana/Ross) took a free pass and Nusbaum stole third. Nusbaum crossed the plate on an error by the Defiance catcher making the score 2-1. 

A BUSHMAN three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning pushed the Defiance advantage to 5-1. The Yellow Jackets tacked on another run in the sixth inning and Bluffton was unable to respond with any runs of its own as Defiance took game one, 6-1.

Nusbaum, freshman RANDI YAEGER (Harrison/Harrison) and freshman LINDSEY MILLER(Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) all went 1-for-3 at the plate to lead the Bluffton offense. SeniorSARAH BETTS (Bryan/Bryan) took the loss for the Beavers as she struck out five batters and gave up six hits in six innings of work. Betts's record for the year falls to 10-10. 

GAME TWO - DEFIANCE 4, BLUFFTON 2

Defiance got off to a quick start in the second game as back-to-back doubles by Smith and Steffen put one run on the board for the Jackets. 

Yaeger sparked the offense for the Beavers in the third inning when she singled to left field and advanced to second on a Defiance error. Yeager stole third and crossed the plate on a Nusbaum groundout. 

Following a pair of walks, a single by Sugg plated two more runs for Defiance as it took a 3-1 lead over Bluffton.

Yaeger led off the fifth inning with a walk. A Nusbum groundout moved Yaeger to second base and Miller picked her up with a single cutting the Defiance cushion to one run. The Yellow Jackets scored one run in the top of the sixth inning, but Bluffton could not counter the Defiance attack as the Jackets took game two by a final score of 4-2. 

Freshman Lindsey Miller went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Beavers' hitting attack. FreshmanKELLIE KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) took the loss for Bluffton as she gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings. 

The Beavers return to action on Friday, May 5, 2006, when they travel to Indianapolis for the HCAC tournament.  

-BEAVERS-