April 9, 2010
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball team continued its winning ways with a convincing sweep at Mount St. Joseph on Friday, April 9, 2010. The Beavers, who have won nine of their last 10 games, improved to 10-11 overall with a spotless 8-0 mark in the Heartland Conference, while MSJ slipped to 6-12 and 0-4 in HCAC play.
BLUFFTON 7, MOUNT ST. JOSEPH 0
The Beavers put a run on the scoreboard in the top of the first when BROOKE BABCOCK(Findlay) plated TORRIE WILSON (Delphos/Jefferson) with an RBI groundout. Two innings later, SHELBY WADE (Delaware/Buckeye Valley) made it 3-0 with two-run single down the left field line which plated JESSICA MCDONALD (Mechanicsburg) and TIFFANY BUCKMASTER (Lima/Bath).
CHELSIE OSBORNE (Chillicothe/Waverly) picked up ALLISON RADOMSKI(Cincinnati/Christian) with a sacrifice fly in the fourth before JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) singled home EMILY MANAHAN (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) in the fifth inning.
Four hits and a Lion error added up to a pair of runs for Bluffton in the top of the seventh. Manahan and Wade both scored, making it 7-0 in favor of the Beavers. Babcock worked around two one-out singles in the seventh, keeping her shutout intact as Bluffton improved to 7-0 in HCAC action.
Shelby Wade was a perfect 3-of-3 with two RBI and one run scored. Allison Radomski also cashed in with three hits. Emily Manahan finished 2-of-2 with two runs scored and a walk. Brooke Babcock improved to 5-5 overall with her fourth straight dominating performance in conference play. She allowed no runs on five hits with four strikouts in seven innings.
BLUFFTON 9, MOUNT ST. JOSEPH 2
Bluffton jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to four hits in the opening frame of game two. Osborne singled home MEAGAN PRICE (Toledo/Springfield) before Manahan plated Osborne with a base hit to left field.
Mount St. Joseph scored a run in the second and third innings, but the Beavers crossed the dish in each frame except the second. Babcock picked up Osborne in the third and one inning later, Jayme Marbaugh broke out of her hitting slump in a big way with the first of two homers in the second game.
Marbaugh's second long ball in as many trips to the plate capped a two-run fifth and Bluffton put the game out of reach with two more scores in the sixth and one in the seventh. Babcock's RBI double in the sixth scored Osborne and Wade crossed the plate following an MSJ wild pitch in the seventh, making the final score 9-2.
Osborne paced the dynamic Bluffton offense with a 4-of-4 game and three runs scored. McDonald and Manahan both collected three hits, while Babcock and Marbaugh, who homered twice, tallied two safeties each. They also drove in two runs apiece.
Stevie Cuttitta (Columbiaville, Mich./Clio) improved to 4-4 despite giving up nine hits in just four innings of work. She limited the Lions to two runs, one earned, with two strikeouts. Babcock shut down the Mount over the final three frames to pick up her first save of the season.
The Beavers continue down Interstate 75 for a Heartland Conference showdown with 2009 regular season champion Transylvania University on Saturday, April 10, 2010. The first contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Lexington, Kentucky.
-BEAVERS-