April 8, 2014
By: Ryan Schadewald, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Anderson University softball team extended its winning streak to 16 games and remained unbeaten in Heartland Conference action as the Ravens swept a doubleheader with Bluffton University on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, spoiling Strike Out Cancer day for the home crowd. The Ravens improved to 17-2 on the season and 8-0 in HCAC play while the Beavers dropped to 16-10 and 6-4 in the conference.
Game 1 started slowly with two shutout innings before the Ravens exploded for four runs in the top half of the third inning. The Beavers got one of those runs back in the bottom half as JESSICA KUZARA (Flat Rock, Mich./Huron) singled home CHELSEA WEITZ (Dayton/Carroll) after Weitz and BRITTANY BAKER (Springboro) laced one-out base knocks.
The Ravens would add two more in the fourth and sixth and one in the seventh. The Beavers rallied in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs before the Ravens sealed the deal for their 9-4 victory. Baker and JO BONDRA (Highland Heights/Mayfield) drove in runs as Bluffton put together five hits in the final frame.
In the early game, Brittany Baker and Kuzara would each get three knocks, with an RBI and run scored as well. The other two seventh inning runs were scored on a Jo Bondra double. Junior CHLOE SHELL(Covington) took the loss, pitching all seven innings and falling to 7-5 after allowing eight runs on 14 hits.
The second game would begin the way that the first ended with four runs from the Anderson Ravens in the opening two innings off freshman starter EMILY SCUPHOLM (Cuyahoga Falls/Our Lady of the Elms). After two quiet frames, Anderson added another run in the fifth inning.
The Beavers attempted to rally in the sixth inning, getting one back on a single up the middle from Kuzara and another on a base knock from Jo Bondra. That was all the Beavers could muster thanks to another inning-ending twin killing and they went down in order in the seventh to suffer a 5-2 loss in the nightcap.
The Beavers only mustered up six hits in game two, with two of them coming from EMILY KOLEZYNSKI (Strongsville), who also came in for two innings of perfect relief on the mound. Kuzara also went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk. The loss was the first of the season for freshman Emily Scupholm who is now 5-1 on the season. She allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
The Beavers return to HCAC action on Saturday, April 12, when they travel to Franklin College. After a trip to Manchester on the 15th, the Beavers will play four home games in two days against Madonna University and Hanover College on April 18 and 19. Those games begin at 3:30 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. Come support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-