April 18, 2009
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball team moved within one win of the school record with a pair of victories over Case Reserve on Saturday, April 18, 2009. The Beavers raised over $1,500 for the American Cancer Society while improving to 25-9 on the season. The Spartans fell to 14-21 with the Saturday setbacks.
BLUFFTON 10, CASE RESERVE 0 (5 INNINGS)
With one out in the bottom of the first, CHELSIE OSBORNE (Chillicothe/Waverly) and JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) drew back-to-back walks before a wild pitch moved them both into scoring position. LINDSEY MILLER (Wapakoneta) came through with a two-RBI single to right center for the early 2-0 lead.
The Beavers made it 5-0 with three scores in the bottom of the third inning. Marbaugh started the two-out rally with a double to right center. Miller reached on a dropped fly ball which allowed Marbaugh to race home. KELLIE KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) then made the Spartans pay when she smoked a RUTHE SAGARTZ offering over the wall in center field for her first dinger of the season.
A five-run fourth put the game on ice as Bluffton ended the game 10-0 after four and a half innings of play. A TORRIE WILSON (Delphos/Jefferson) two-bagger down the right field line moved MEAGAN PRICE (Toledo/Springfield) to third with one down. Osborne's single up the gut plated both runners before another Miller base knock scored Osborne for an 8-0 lead. Kenney's two-run shot over the wall in right center made the score 10-0 after four frames.
Freshman KRISTIN AGAUAS (Bloomfield, Mich./Andover), the reigning HCAC Pitcher of the Week, threw a perfect fifth to nail down the victory for starter BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay) who worked four innings of one-hit ball in improving to 13-4 on the season. Babcock struck out six and walked just two batters.
Kenney, who went yard in back-to-back trips to the plate, was 2-of-3 with four RBI and two runs scored. Miller finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Osborne tallied two RBI and she and Marbaugh both scored twice in the first game.
BLUFFTON 3, CASE RESERVE 1
Following three scoreless frames to open the second contest, both teams plated single runs in the fourth inning. The Spartans took advantage of two Bluffton errors to score their only run of the game, an unearned one, in the top of the fourth. The Beavers stole a run in the bottom half to knot the game at one. TIFFANY BUCKMASTER (Lima/Bath) opened the inning with an infield single and she went to third on Miller's base hit through the right side. Miller drew a throw on an attempted steal and she avoided the tag until Buckmaster touched home plate for Bluffton's first run of the game.
With two outs in the fifth, EMILY MANAHAN (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) singled and she came around to score when DANIELLE SHORTSLE (Alma, Mich./Alma) doubled to gap in right center for a 2-1 advantage.
The Beavers added an insurance run in the sixth to make the score 3-1. JESSICA MCDONALD(Mechanicsburg) led off the frame with a line single to center field. Buckmaster executed a nice sacrifice bunt, moving pinch runner Meagan Price into scoring position. Chelsie Osborne's groundout allowed Price to go third and Marbaugh delivered an RBI single up the middle for the final 3-1 margin.
Miller, who went 4-of-6 on the afternoon and drove home career RBI 100 in the first contest, and Manahan both finished the game with two hits.
Agauas picked up right where she left off at the end of game one, throwing a complete game and improving to 3-1 on the season. She allowed just one unearned run on six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.
Bluffton returns to action on Tuesday, April 21, when the Beavers welcome Transylvania University for a pair of games with Heartland Conference title implications. Bluffton and Transy are both currently 8-2 in the HCAC and they trail Defiance which improved to 10-2 with a sweep of Hanover today. The Pioneers will also lock horns with the Yellow Jackets later next week.
-BEAVERS-