March 14, 2009
NOTRE DAME 11, BLUFFTON 3 (5 INNINGS)
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball team found itself on the wrong end of a convincing sweep on Saturday, March 14, 2009. Notre Dame jumped on top 4-0 in the top of the first in game one en route to a five-inning 11-3 shellacking and the Falcons scored four runs in the seventh inning of game two, nailing down the 7-2 victory over the Beavers.
Back-to-back singles by Notre Dame in the top of the first set the table for JILL GIGLIOTTIwho smacked a two-RBI double to right center with one out. With two down, STEPHANIE TARTAGLIONE made it 4-0 with her two-run shot to left field. An RBI groundout by ANNA BALL in the second plated LIANNA HOLUB who led off the frame with a two-bagger, making it 5-0.
Junior hurler BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay) followed a CHELSIE OSBORNE(Chillicothe/Waverly) single with a two-run shot to right field in the bottom of the second, but Notre Dame's Gigliotti took advantage of a Bluffton misplay when she drove a two-run homer over the wall in left field for a 7-2 lead.
JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) drove home TORRIE WILSON (Delphos/Jefferson) with a single through the left side in the bottom of the third before the Falcons tacked on a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth to finish the Beavers, 11-3. Tartaglione completed the scoring with a three-run bomb to center in the top of the fifth.
Babcock fell to 5-2 on the year after surrendering eight runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings of work. She had two strikeouts in the loss. Osborne went 2-of-2 at the plate and Babcock drove in two runs with her second-inning homer.
NOTRE DAME 7, BLUFFTON 2
After three scoreless frames to open game two, the Beavers put together a two-out rally in the fourth to go up 1-0. KELLIE KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) reached on a Notre Dame error and moved to second when the ball sailed out of play. EMILY MANAHAN'S(Columbus/Bishop Watterson) single scored pinch runner DANIELLE SHORTSLE (Alma, Mich./Alma) to put Bluffton on top.
Wasting no time in formulating a response, Notre Dame used four hits to paste three runs on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Gigliotti again came up big with a two-RBI double to the gap in left center. Two frames later, the Falcons put the game away with four runs on four hits and two Bluffton errors.
The Beavers scored a run in the home half of the inning following a leadoff single by ALLISON WHITE (Lima/Shawnee). She came around to score on LINDSEY MILLER'S (Wapakoneta) base hit up the middle before Marbaugh was gunned down at the plate to end the game.
Kellie Kenney was saddled with the loss despite keeping the Falcons off balance for much of the game. She fell to 3-1 on the year after giving up seven runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts. Marbaugh, Miller and Manahan all finished the second game with two hits.
Bluffton returns to action on Tuesday, March 17, when the Beavers travel to face reigning MIAA-champion Trine University. The first game in Angola, Indiana, is slated for 3:30 p.m.