March 4, 2013

BLUFFTON, Ohio - It took a pair of Bluffton softball players just one morning to rack up their first Heartland Conference Player of the Week honors following wins over Illinois College and Beloit College on Sunday, March 3, 2013. Sophomore hurler CHLOE SHELL (Covington) was named Pitcher of the Week, while her battery mate, sophomore catcher ARIANA MUFFO (New Athens, Ill.) earned Hitter of the Week acclaim.

Shell led the Beavers to an 8-0 mercy-rule win over Illinois College on Sunday and has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week. The sophomore tossed a complete game shutout in the win, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out two batters. She is slated to start at 5 p.m. on Monday when Bluffton meets Geneva College in a matchup with the 2012 Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) champions.

In her first day of collegiate softball for the Beavers, Ariana Muffo knocked the cover off the ball on Sunday in Kissimmee, Fla., and has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Hitter of the Week. The sophomore finished the week 5-for-7 (.714) with three runs scored, two doubles, one home run, and five RBI, while posting a slugging percentage of 1.333. She also managed the game from behind the plate and threw out the only would-be base-stealer in Bluffton's 8-0 win over Illinois College.

Muffo did not slow down in the first game Monday afternoon, going 4-of-4 with three RBI and three runs scored in Bluffton's 14-4 five-inning win over Concordia University-Chicago. With three games under her belt, Muffo is hitting .818 (9-of-11) with a homer, three doubles and eight RBI while slugging a ridiculous 1.364 thanks to her four extra-base hits.

The Beavers (3-0, 0-0 HCAC) will look to keep their winning streak alive when the take on Geneva today at approximately 5 p.m.

-BEAVERS-