March 10, 2014

BLUFFTON, Ohio - A pair of Bluffton University softball players were honored for their work on the diamond in Florida over the past week. Juniors JESS KUZARA(Flat Rock, Mich./Huron) and CHLOE SHELL (Covington) led the Beavers to an 8-2 mark at the Gene Cusic Classic and were named HCAC Hitter of the Week and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.

Jess Kuzara provided the punch for Bluffton's lineup as the Beavers went 8-2 in Florida. She finished the week 12-of-28 for a team-best .429 batting average. The third baseman led the team with 10 RBI, 12 runs scored, 12 hits, seven walks and a home run. She also paced the team with 6-of-6 on stolen bases, a .607 SLG percentage and a .528 OBP.

Chloe Shell did the job in the circle for the Beavers, going 4-2 in her six Florida starts. She finished the week with a 1.62 ERA in 30.1 innings of work.
Shell fanned 22 batters while tossing three complete games. She got stronger as the week went on, throwing a Thursday no-hitter against St. John Fisher, a team that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament a year ago, before limiting Salem State to two runs, none earned, on Friday in her final game at the Gene Cusic Classic.

Bluffton's Wednesday game scheduled for Adrian has been canceled and the site of Saturday's contest, slated for Trine, will be determined later in the week. Check the Bluffton University softball page for updates.

-BEAVERS-