March 31, 2007
TERRE HAUTE, Ind - The Bluffton University softball team split its first Heartland Conference series of 2007 when it traveled to HCAC newcomer Rose-Hulman on Saturday, March 31. The Beavers took game one by a final score of 5-3, but the Enginners ace Goslee shut down Bluffton, 6-1, in the second game of the afternoon.
GAME 1 - BLUFFTON 5, ROSE-HULMAN 3
Rose ripped two hits and took advantage of a Bluffton error to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the home half of the first.
The Beavers plated two runs of their own to tie the game in the top of the third. With one out, KELLIE KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) and KATIE AMMONS (Findlay/Findlay) hit consecutive singles. A GRETCHEN HANDLEY (Ashland/Ashland) base knock up the middle loaded the bases with one out. CARRIE WEISBECKER (Okeana/Ross) reached on an error which plated AMANDA BARTZ (Columbus Grove/Columbus Grove). BROOKE BABCOCK(Findlay/Findlay) drove in Handley with her single to left field.
Following a Handley single to open the fifth inning, LINDSEY MILLER(Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) drove an RBI double to left center, making the score 3-2 in favor of the visitors.
Freshman LAURA BROWN (Sullivan/Black River) reached base on an error to start the sixth inning. An AMANDA HARRIS (Greenville/Greenville) sacrifice bunt moved Brown into scoring position for Kenney who promptly doubled to right center. An Ammons single put runners on the corners. Handley's double to right center made the final score 5-3 as the Beavers picked up a victory over Rose-Hulman in Coach Bruder's first HCAC clash.
Handley was a perfect 3-of-3 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI. Kenney was also 3-of-3 while Miller went 3-of-4 in the victory. Bluffton pounded out 12 hits in 29 at-bats. Kenney went the distance, giving up only three runs, none earned, on six hits as she improved to 4-2 on the year.
GAME 2 - ROSE-HULMAN 6, BLUFFTON 1
Katie Ammons opened game two with a base hit and moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch. A Weisbecker single put runners on the corners. Babcock's infield groundout plated Ammons, but that was the end of the scoring for the Beavers in game two.
The Engineers pounded out three hits to tie the score at one after the first inning.
Rose tacked on single runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 3-1 lead before the floodgates opened in the bottom of the sixth. The Engineers used three Bluffton errors and two hits to make the final score 6-1 and give Rose a series split with the Beavers.
Ammons went 2-of-3 in both games and scored a run in the nightcap. Babcock (1-3) took the loss, giving up four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts.
Bluffton returns to action on Thursday, April 4, when it hosts Denison in a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
-BEAVERS-