March 10, 2010
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Bluffton University softball team again had its share of struggles at the plate as the Beavers tallied only eight hits in a pair of losses on March 10, 2010. Carthage took advantage of two Bluffton errors to secure a 2-0 shutout before four Beaver errors and only two hits played a huge part in Missouri Baptist's 5-2 win at 11 a.m.
CARTHAGE 2, BLUFFTON 0
Carthage plated the only runs of the game after Bluffton recorded the first two outs in the second frame. A dropped fly followed by a single down the right field line allowed Carthage to push two across the plate. The Beavers had their chances throughout the first four innings, leaving seven runners stranded. KELSY EPPING picked up steam as the game moved into the later frames, finishing with a complete game shutout. She allowed six hits and walked five, but worked around trouble with 11 strikeouts.
MEAGAN PRICE (Toledo/Springfield) and TORRIE WILSON (Delphos/Jefferson) paced the Bluffton offense with two hits apiece. Freshman STEVIE CUTTITTA (Columbiaville, Mich./Clio) continued to impress the Bluffton faithful with a complete-game six hitter. She allowed only two runs, none earned, with five strikeouts.
MISSOURI BAPTIST 5, BLUFFTON 2
The Beavers jumped on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the first against Missouri Baptist. Wilson singled up the middle and following a hit batter, JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) moved her and Price into scoring position. CHELSIE OSBORNE'S(Chillicothe/Waverly) groundout to second picked up Wilson from third.
Missouri used two more Bluffton miscues to take a 2-1 lead in the third inning. The Beavers knotted the game in the fifth courtesy of two Missouri Baptist errors to start the inning. SHELBY WADE (Deleware/Buckeye Valley) worked Missouri hurler JENNIFER KEMP and when her third strike got away from the catcher and forced a throw down to first ALLISON RADOMSKI (Fairfield/Cincinnati Christian) scurried home. The home team on the scoreboard quickly responded with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the frame, making the score 5-2. Bluffton failed to produce any baserunners in the final two innings as the Beavers slipped to 1-5 with the loss.
Wilson finished the game 1-of-1 and TABATHA TOUSLEY (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) collected the other hit for Bluffton. Wilson and Allison Radomski scored runs for the Beavers. BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay) fell to 1-2 on the season after giving up five runs, three earned, in five innings of work. She fanned three and walked one. Cuttitta worked a scoreless sixth frame to keep Bluffton within striking distance.
Bluffton returns to action with a 9 a.m. meeting versus 2009 NCAA Division III runner-up Coe College on Wednesday, March 11, 2010.
-BEAVERS-