BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball team dropped a pair of Heartland Conference clashes to Mount St. Joseph on a cool and windy Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Bluffton fell to 5-17 overall and 2-4 in the conference, while MSJ upped its mark to 15-8 and 4-2 in the HCAC.

A seven-run barrage by the Lions before Bluffton took its first swings at the plate was more than enough as MSJ took game one by a 14-2 count in five innings. The visitors followed up their rousing first frame with four more tallies in the second as they racked up 13 hits through two innings.

Sophomore Marissa Auvil (North Canton/Hoover) doubled to open the bottom of the third and she crossed the dish following an RBI single to center from Bobbi Adams (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes). Another Adams base knock, this time to left in the fifth inning, picked up Auvil for the second and final of Bluffton's runs in game one as the Lions claimed a 14-2 victory in mercy-rule fashion.

Adams and Auvil combined for four of Bluffton six hits in game one. Junior Grace Fillinger (Hinckley/Highland) took the loss after allowing nine runs on 11 hits in 1.1 innings of work. 

The Beavers took their only lead of the day in game two thanks to a pair of Lion errors as Adams, Sydney Bowen (Convoy/Crestview) and Taylor Shimp (St. Marys/Memorial) all crossed the dish in the bottom of the first. Bluffton returned the favor in the top of the second when a leadoff error led to three unearned runs for The Mount.

MSJ followed with a run in the third, three in the fourth and two more in the sixth before an Emily Dyson (Haviland/Wayne Trace) sacrifice fly and a Katie Fleshman (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) RBI single made it 9-5 and gave the Beavers hope heading to the final inning. That hope dissipated, however, when the Lions put it out of reach with five more scores in the seventh en route to a 14-5 victory and series sweep.

Bowen went 3-of-4 with two runs scored, while Adams and Auvil again checked in with two hits apiece. Erin Norman (Pleasant Hill/Newton) fell to 2-5 after surrendering nine runs on nine hits in four innings of work.

Bluffton is back at home on Saturday, April 17, when the Beavers welcome Franklin College for a Heartland Conference double-dipper. Game one is slated to go off at 1 p.m.

-BEAVERS-