BLUFFTON 17, FRANKLIN 1 (5 INNINGS)

 

After a scoreless first frame for both teams, the Bluffton bats got healthy in a hurry. Following back-to-back walks to KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) and EMILY MANAHAN(Columbus/Bishop Watterson) to open the top of the second, freshman JESSICA MCDONALD(Mechanicsburg) ripped a two-RBI double. An ALLISON WHITE (Lima/Shawnee) sacrifice bunt moved McDonald to third where TORRIE WILSON (Delphos/Jefferson) picked her up with a base hit.

 

Two more free passes to JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) and CHELSIE OSBORNE(Chillicothe/Waverly) loaded the bases for LINDSEY MILLER (Wapakoneta) who made it 7-0 with her seventh home run of the year, a second inning grand slam.

 

Marbaugh singled home White in the third and Miller's base knock plated Marbaugh for a 9-0 advantage in the third inning before Bluffton put the game out of reach with five more scores in the top of the fourth.

 

Walks to Manahan and McDonald followed by a Franklin error once again loaded the bases with no outs. Wilson delivered a two-RBI single and Marbaugh drove in White for the third run of the inning. A Miller base hit plated Wilson and Marbaugh crossed the plate with BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay) at the dish.

 

Osborne drove in two in the fifth following an RBI single by Marbaugh as the carnage ended after five innings with Bluffton taking game one by a 17-1 count.

 

Miller, Marbaugh and Osborne all tallied three hits in game one as Miller finished with a game-high six RBI. Wilson, Marbaugh, McDonald and White all scored three times while Wilson and Marbaugh drove in three runs each.

 

Babcock (9-4) gave up just one run on six hits in five innings of work. She fanned five and did not issue a walk in the victory.

 

BLUFFTON 11, FRANKLIN 0 (5 INNINGS)

 

Bluffton wasted no time making its mark in game two as the Beavers bolted to an 8-0 lead after just two innings. Lindsey Miller opened the scoring with an RBI single that knocked in Marbaugh who had doubled with one out. Babcock's sacrifice fly to center plated Osborne for a quick 2-0 lead.

 

Jessica McDonald singled and moved up a base thanks to Allison White's sacrifice bunt in the top of the second. Following a walk to Wilson, Marbaugh ripped her second two-bagger of the game, scoring McDonald. Osborne singled home Marbaugh and after another Miller base knock, Babcock laced a two-RBI double for a 7-0 advantage. Manahan made it 8-0 with an RBI single that scored Babcock.

 

Torrie Wilson scored in the third and Bluffton tacked on two more runs in the fourth to open up an 11-0 lead. Kenney opened the fourth frame with a double and she scored when Manahan stroked an RBI single. Manahan came around to score as Bluffton's Kenney did the rest, shutting down Franklin in the fourth and fifth to finish off the Beavers' second mercy-rule win of the afternoon.

 

Miller and Kenney paced Bluffton with three hits each in the second game. Babcock drove in three runs while Marbaugh, Osborne and Manahan all ended game two with two RBI. Wilson, Osborne and Marbaugh all scored two runs in the 11-0 victory.

 

Kenney upped her season mark to 7-3 with the complete game four-hitter. She notched her third shutout of the season as she faced just two batters over the minimum while not walking a batter.

 

Bluffton returns to action on Wednesday, April 8, when the Beavers travel to Heidelberg College. The first game of the non-conference doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m.

 

-BEAVERS-