May 6, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Bluffton University softball team traveled to Indianapolis to take part in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament on Friday, May 5, 2006. The Beavers dropped their opening contest to the Mount St. Joseph Lions by a score of 3-1. Bluffton then knocked the Hanover College Panthers out of the tournament with a decisive 8-0 victory in five innings. The Beavers' bats again went silent against Defiance as Bluffton bowed out of the tournament with a 3-0 loss to the Yellow Jackets.
GAME 1 - MSJ 3, BLUFFTON 1
Bluffton limited the Lions to only three baserunners during the first four innings of its tournament opening contest. However, the Beavers also failed to plate any runs early in the game.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, NIEHAUS drew a base on balls. An infield error left runners on the corners. GLASSMEYER then reached on the second Bluffton error in the inning. Niehaus scored and BROGAN moved to third. A wild pitch to SUNDERMAN allowed Brogan to cross the plate and the Lions had all the offense they would need as they scored two unearned runs on no hits in the inning.
The Mount put together another two-out rally in the sixth to plate a run. CAMMERER drew a two-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and then advanced to third on a passed ball. DENNETT picked her up with an RBI double giving the Lions a three-run lead.
With one out in the top of the seventh, KELLIE KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) reached on an error by the third baseman. She took second on a wild pitch and moved to third when LINDSEY MILLER (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) reached on the second error of the inning. A GRETCHEN HANDLEY (Ashland/Ashland) sacrifice fly made the score 3-1 before SARAH BETTS (Bryan/Bryan) grounded out to the shortstop to end the game.
Lindsey Miller finished the contest 2-for-3 and Kenney scored the Beavers only run.
Although she held the Lions to only four hits and three runs, one earned, Betts took the complete game loss for Bluffton.
GAME 2 - BLUFFTON 8, HANOVER 0 (5 INN.)
Bluffton took the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second against the Panthers. CARRIE WEISBECKER (Okeana/Ross) opened the inning with a single. She stole second and moved to third when the throw could not be handled. Weisbecker crossed the plate on an AMANDA HARRIS (Greenville/Greenville) single.
MICHELLE MOTTER (Lakeview/Indian Lake) opened the third frame with a single to right field. She promptly stole second and moved to third on a SARAH NUSBAUM (Sherwood/Fairview) infield groundout. Following a LINDSAY MILLER (Haviland/Wayne Trace) single, RANDI YAEGER (Harrison/Harrison) drillled a three-run homer making the score 4-0.
LIZ WINELAND (Oregon/Cardinal Stritch) was hit by a Hanover pitch to start the fourth inning. She stole second base then, with Kenney on first, pulled off a double steal to put two runners in scoring position. Wineland scored when Motter reached on an error by the shortstop. The Beavers loaded the bases but were unable to push across any more runs in the fourth.
Weisbecker reached on a fielding error by the Panthers to open the fifth inning and moved all the way to third when the throw went awry. She scored when Harris grounded out to the first baseman. CATIE RICHMAN (Upper Sandusky/Upper Sandusky)followed with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Handley singled and moved to second on the throw, putting two Beavers in scoring position for Kenney who picked up an RBI when she grounded out to the shortstop. Handley ended the game when she crossed the plate on a wild pitch giving the Beavers an 8-0 victory in five innings.
Yaeger led the Bluffton offense going 1-for-3 while driving in three runs. Harris added two RBI on 1-of-3 hitting, while Weisbecker ended the game going 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
Kenney pitched a three-hit shutout, going all five innings allowing only three hits and striking out six. She improves to 4-5 on the season with the win.
GAME 3 - DEFIANCE 3, BLUFFTON 0
The Defiance College Yellow Jackets, behind the stellar pitching of JUSTINE JOHNSTON, used a big third inning to knock off Bluffton, 3-0. The loss ends the Beavers season as they finished 15-23 and 7-7 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
AUZINS led off the third inning for Defiance with a single to right field. STEFFEN then singled to left plating Auzins. BUSHMAN followed with a two-run shot to left center to give the Jackets a 3-0 advantage.
Johnston limited the Beavers to two hits and did not allow a runner past second base.
Sarah Betts took the loss for the Beavers as she went seven innings giving up three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts. She finished her senior campaign with a 10-12 record.
-BEAVERS-