March 4, 2008
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Bluffton University softball team picked up a split on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, moving to 3-1 on the season at the Rebel Spring Games. The Beavers dropped a tight 3-2 contest to Mary Washington before thrashing Beloit College by a final score of 10-4.
Mary Washington 3, Bluffton 2
Mary Washington jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. CATHY HULL drew a leadoff walk and ASHLEY SIFER was hit by a pitch before SARAH AXELSON moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. One out later, KATHERINE MATUSIK made Bluffton pay with a double to center field which plated both Hull and Sifer.
The Beavers cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third when freshman MOLLIE BROWN (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) came around to score following her leadoff single.
In the top of the fourth inning, Mary Washington put together three singles but were limited to one run when Bluffton picked off two baserunners in the frame.
KELLIE KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) ripped a one-out double to left center in the home half of the fifth, and following JAYME MARBAUGH'S (Ohio City/Parkway) infield single, LINDSEY MILLER (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) picked her up with a sacrifice fly to center.
Freshman TIFFANY BUCKMASTER (Lima/Bath) singled to open the bottom of the seventh and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, but Bluffton was unable to push her across the plate as Mary Washington held on for the slim 3-2 victory over the Beavers.
Buckmaster and fellow freshman KAYLA WILLIAMS (Elida/Elida) paced Bluffton with two hits each. BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay/Findlay) gave up only six hits and three runs in seven innings, but Bluffton struggled to put runs on the board for her as she dropped to 1-1 on the season. She finished with four strikeouts and three walks.
Bluffton 10, Beloit 4
A Beloit error in the first allowed Bluffton to take the early 1-0 lead when Tiffany Buckmaster reached to start the game. A Kenney sacrifice and Marbaugh groundout moved Buckmaster to third for Lindsey Miller who drove her in with a single to right field.
Following a Miller double to right field, Kenney scored on Babcock's grounder to first base, making the score 2-0.
Bluffton tacked on a run in both the fourth and fifth innings before the floodgates opened in the top of the sixth. Beloit walked Williams and senior TONYA DEAN(Kettering/Fairmont) to start the inning. An error by the pitcher allowed Williams to cross the plate before Buckmaster drove in Dean. Kenney's single plated Mollie Brown and the rout was on. Kenney and Buckmaster both came around on Lindsey Miller's base hit and Miller scored on a Babcock single which made the score 10-2.
Beloit mounted a rally in the bottom of the sixth thanks to three hits and a hit batter, but it was too little, too late as the Beavers improved to 3-1 with their 10-4 victory.
Lindsey Miller was a perfect 4-of-4 at the dish with three runs batted in and one run scored. Kenney and Dean both rapped two hits while Babcock drove in three runs. Buckmaster finished with two runs scored and two RBI's. Kenney and Brown both scored two runs in the victory. Bluffton ended the game with 12 hits.
Kenney improved to 2-0, giving up four runs on six hits with six strikeouts and only two walks in seven innings of work.
Bluffton returns to action on Wednesday, March 5, when the Beavers face Aurora at 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-