March 6, 2008
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Bluffton University softball team knocked off Aurora 5-4 in eight innings before falling to King by a final count of 5-2 in the nightcap on Wednesday, March 5, 2008. The Beavers stand at 4-2 after their split on Wednesday.
Bluffton 5, Aurora 4 (8 innings)
Like a play with two distinctively different acts, Bluffton dusted off bats that had produced only four hits and no runs in the first seven innings and rallied for five tallies in the top of the eighth, only to see Aurora push four runs across the dish in the home half of the frame before BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay/Findlay) induced a game-ending groundout to preserve the 5-4 victory.
With freshman MOLLIE BROWN (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) placed on second to start the eighth, TIFFANY BUCKMASTER (Lima/Bath) moved her 60 feet closer when Aurora could not make a play on her bunt. KELLIE KENNEY'S (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) single made the score 1-0 before JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) plated Buckmaster. A LINDSEY MILLER (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) double to right center drove Kenney and Marbaugh home to make the score 4-0 and KAYLA WILLIAMS (Elida/Elida) ended the scoring for Bluffton when her base hit sent Miller across the dish.
Aurora took advantage of two walks, two run-scoring singles and a wild pitch to make a furious comeback in the bottom of the eighth, but Babcock got PATKUS to ground out to Lindsey Miller to end the rally at four runs as Bluffton held on for the 5-4 win.
Williams was the only Beaver with two hits while Miller drove in two runs. Babcock went the distance, holding Aurora to seven hits and four runs in eight innings with five strikeouts.
King 5, Bluffton 2
The Beavers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against King College in the second inning of game two. Miller doubled to right center and she moved to third on Babcock's infield single. An ABBY SNIDER (Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) fielder's choice plated Miller before Mollie Brown's single to left made it 2-0.
King College took advantage of three hits and a hit batter to knot the score at two as the Beavers avoided further damage by forcing a pair of runners out at home plate in the top of the third.
The Tornadoes tacked on single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings while holding Bluffton scoreless to complete the 5-2 victory over the Beavers.
Lindsey Miller, who is currently smoking opposing pitching with a .579 batting average, and Mollie Brown both finished with two hits. Kenney (2-1) took the loss after giving up 10 hits and four runs in five innings. She had two strikeouts and issued only one free pass.
The Beavers return to action on Thursday, March 6, when they face Eastern Mennonite University at 11 a.m.
-BEAVERS-