April 21, 2008
DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball team dropped game one at Defiance by a 4-0 count before the Beavers rebounded for a convincing 6-0 shutout of the Yellow Jackets on Monday, April 21, 2008. Bluffton is currently in a tie for first place in the Heartland Conference with a 9-3 record. The Beavers are even with Rose-Hulman in HCAC play while Bluffton sports a 21-15 record overall. Defiance remains a game off the pace as the Yellow Jackets move to 17-14, with an 8-4 mark in the conference.
Defiance 4, Bluffton 0
After two quick innings to open game one, Defiance took a 1-0 lead when MARAH ROBINSONsingled home AMANDA AUZINS in the third frame.
The Yellow Jackets used four hits to push a pair of runs across the plate in the bottom of the fourth. RAMSAY knocked in a run with her fielder's choice that dropped in shallow right field. Auzins picked up AARIKA DAVIS with a groundout to shortstop which made the score 3-0.
Following a two-out double by FALING in the fifth inning, CRAGER picked up the RBI with her single down the right field line.
JUSTINE JOHNSTON kept the Beavers off balance while firing a two-hit shutout with three strikeouts and one walk. She faced just three batters over the minimum and improved to 11-5 with the victory.
Sophomore BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay/Findlay) fell to 10-11 after giving up four runs on nine hits in six innings of work. She finished with four strikeouts and issued no free passes.
Bluffton 6, Defiance 0
The Beavers plated a run in the top of the first inning in game two when LINDSEY MILLER(Wapakoneta/Wapakoneta) drove in JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) who had laced a one-out double to the wall in left center.
Four straight Bluffton baserunners knocked Defiance starter KELLY SCHNIPKE out of the game with one out in the top of the third inning. Marbaugh's single plated MOLLIE BROWN(Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and TIFFANY BUCKMASTER (Lima/Bath) before Miller picked up her second RBI of the game with a base knock off Johnston which put Bluffton on top 4-0.
Bluffton added two unearned runs in the top of the fifth frame for a 6-0 advantage. Babcock's single down the right field line scored both Marbaugh and Miller.
Marbaugh led the Bluffton offensive in game two, going 3-of-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Miller went 3-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI. Babcock finished the contest 2-of-4 with a pair of RBI.
Lindsey Miller and Mollie Brown both surpassed Allison Lange's season record of 48 hits. Miller's three base knocks upped her season total to 50 hits while Brown now has 49 hits in her freshman campaign.
KELLIE KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) was masterful in the circle, tossing a two-hitter against a Defiance squad that rapped nine hits in the opening contest. She fanned three batters and walked just one while improving to 11-4 on the season.
The Beavers return to action on Saturday, April 26, 2008, when they host pre-season HCAC favorite Anderson University. The first contest is slated to start at 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-