LEESBURG, Fla. - The Bluffton University softball team picked up a new opponent and then picked up a win when the Beavers downed Northland 7-4 under the lights on Thursday, March 10, 2022. Bluffton evened up its season mark at 3-3, while Northland slipped to 1-11.
It was a day of sitting and waiting for the weather to clear and the diamonds to dry. With games against John Carroll and Bethany Lutheran washed away, a 9:15 p.m. matchup with Northland found its way onto the schedule.
A bases-loaded walk to Hayley Lewis (Kettering/Fairmont) followed by a wild pitch put Bluffton up 2-0 in the top of the first inning. Fellow freshman Madison Jones (West Milton/Milton Union) plated junior Lily Tate (Mount Gilead/Northmor) and sophomore Kryshel Dales (Defiance/Ayersville) for a 4-0 lead midway through the second.
Four straight base knocks and a sacrifice fly added up to a tie game in the third when Northland ripped off four runs in a hurry.
Sammi Urban (Troy/Miami East) looped a three-bagger down the right field to open inning five. Lewis singled to third and stole second before pinch hitter Taylor Shimp (St. Marys/Memorial) made it 5-4 with her ground ball to shortstop. A Dales sacrifice fly picked up Lewis for a 6-4 advantage. Freshman Mia McCartney (North Baltimore) crossed the dish when Sydney Zinkon (Fresno/Ridgewood) singled through the left side, giving the home team on the scoreboard a 7-4 lead.
Sophomore Katie Fleshman (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) came out firing with a runner on first and no outs in the top of the seventh and needed just eight pitches to notch her first save of the season when Tate started off a 6-4-3 twin killing to end the game.
Jones moved to 2-1 after tossing three innings of scoreless relief in spite of six walks and a hit batter. Lewis was a perfect 3-of-3 with a run scored and one RBI. Zinkon and Urban both checked in with two hits. Tate score twice and Jones drove in a pair of runs.
Bluffton will be back in Clermont at Hancock Park for its final day of THE Spring Games on Friday, March 11. Game one is slated for 1:45 p.m. with Haverford on Field #3. Emerson will follow on Field #5 at 4:15 p.m.
-BEAVERS-