March 6, 2009
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Bluffton University softball team rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the fifth inning to defeat Husson 7-4 before the Beavers dropped their second eight-inning contest of the Rebel Spring Games, 2-1 to Rochester Institute of Technology, on Friday, March 6, 2009.
BLUFFTON 7, HUSSON 4
Husson took advantage of a leadoff double in the first inning to go up 1-0 over Bluffton before the visitors on the scoreboard added three more scores in the fifth thanks to a drawn in infield, making it 4-0 going to the bottom of the frame. With runners on second and third and no outs, freshman KRISTIN AGAUAS (Bloomfield, Mich./Andover) came on and fired three straight strikeouts to give Bluffton a chance.
Sophomore TIFFANY BUCKMASTER (Lima/Bath) reached base safely following a Husson error to open the bottom of the fifth. TORRIE WILSON (Delphos/Jefferson) and CHELSIE OSBORNE (Chillicothe/Waverly) then singled to load the bases, forcing Husson to go to the bullpen. A JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) sacrifice fly made it 4-1 with one out. Senior LINDSEY MILLER (Wapakoneta) laced a two-RBI single up the middle and she moved up on the throw to the plate.
Junior hurler BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay) singled down the right field line and a JESSICA MCDONALD (Mechanicsburg) walk loaded the bases for EMILY MANAHAN(Columbus/Bishop Watterson). Manahan plated Babcock and Miller before Buckmaster knocked in McDonald with a base hit. A bases loaded walk to Wilson sent ALLISON RADOMSKI(Fairfield/Cincinnati Christian) across the dish for Bluffton's seventh and final run of the inning.
Babcock picked up her second save of the week by limiting Husson to one hit over the final two innings. Agauas evened her record at 1-1 by fanning the side in the fifth. KELLIE KENNEY(Toledo/Emmanuel Christian) gave up four runs on eight hits in four innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
Miller went 3-of-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Osborne and Manahan both collected two hits in the victory. Marbaugh was robbed of a home run in the third when the Husson center fielder went through the fence to come up with the ball.
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 2, BLUFFTON 1 (8)
Pitching was the name of the game in Bluffton's final contest of the Rebel Games as both hurlers worked to only nine batters through the first three innings. The Beavers manufactured their only run of the game in the top of the fourth when Wilson led off with a single to center. Osborne moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and she came around on Miller's RBI single to right center.
The Beavers had their chance in the sixth, but they could not push any more runs across the plate. RIT took advantage of a pair of two-out hits to knot the game in the seventh and after Bluffton failed to score in the eighth, Rochester executed a sacrifice bunt in the home half before Mausolf singled up the middle to end the game, 2-1.
Babcock, who fell to 4-1 despite giving up just two runs on four hits, struck out 11 batters and went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Beavers. She walked just one batter over 7.1 superb innings in the circle.
Bluffton returns home to Ohio where the Beavers will host Ursuline on Thursday, March 12, at 3:30 p.m.