By: Nick Taflinger, sports information assistant
ALMA, Mich. - The Bluffton University softball team split a doubleheader with Alma College on Sunday, March 24, as they took the first game by the score of 10-9 in a thriller, but dropped game two, 9-1, in six innings. The Beavers are now 4-12 overall on the year, while Alma stands at 10-6.
In the top of the first inning in game one, Bluffton got the bats cranking quickly! After a Sydney Bowen (Convoy/Crestview) single, Caylin Morstadt (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) homered for a quick 2-0 lead. Two outs later, the Beavers did even more damage as Bluffton used a combination of hits and Alma errors to break it open. Courtney Jasinski (Englewood/Northmont), Casey Clark (Lima/Central Catholic) and Riley Langstaff (Findlay) all scored in the inning, extending the lead to 5-0 before the Scots could step to the plate.
The Beavers forced Alma to switch pitchers in the top of the second as they kept the heat on. Morstadt and Megan Hill (Arcadia) laced back-to-back singles. Jasinski's base knock picked up Morstadt from third base. Alma would not stay scoreless for long as the Scots hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the second to halve the deficit at 6-3 after two innings.
After a scoreless third inning, Alma scored one more in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-4. An inning later Alma put together four hits and three runs to take a 7-6 lead over the Beavers.
After struggling through the middle innings, Bluffton picked up where it left off at the beginning of the game. Jasinski scored the first run of the inning to tie it up at 7-7. Molly Bollinger (Lima/Shawnee) singled with two outs, scoring Clark for an 8-7 lead. Fellow senior Kelsey Reeder (Galion/Northmor) doubled home Bollinger and Langstaff, giving Bluffton a 10-7 spread.
The Beavers made it very interesting in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Alma scored twice and had the bases loaded down just one run. The Beavers quelled the rally with a double play to end the game with a 10-9 victory!
Jasinski went 4-of-5 with two runs and an RBI. Bollinger was 2-for-3 with two RBI. She also started for the Beavers, going 4.1 innings and giving up seven runs on nine hits. Bowen and Morstadt had two hits apiece. Alexis Montemarano (Brook Park/Berea-Midpark) got the win for the Beavers, her second in as many games, and she now has a record of 2-2.
With the bases full in the first inning of game two, Jasinski stepped up to the plate and delivered an RBI single that picked up Reeder from third base, giving the Beavers an early 1-0 advantage.
The game remained 1-0 through the top of the fifth inning before the table turned in the home half of the frame. The Beavers gave up eight runs in the inning on eight hits. One more Alma run in the bottom of the sixth was all she wrote as the Beavers dropped a 9-1 decision in six innings.
Jasinski got the start in the circle, pitching 4.1 innings. She gave up five runs on nine hits. Montemarano came on during the nightmare fifth inning and tossed the final 1.1 for the Beavers, giving up four runs on four hits.
Bluffton will be back in action on Wednesday, March 27, when they host Olivet in a non-conference doubleheader that kicks off at 3 p.m. Come out and support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-