BLUFFTON, Ohio - It was two different stories when Bluffton welcomed long-time rival Defiance College for a doubleheader on a cold and windy Wednesday, April 27. Bluffton shut down DC 3-1 in the lidlifter before the Yellow Jackets turned the tables with a 20-5 rout in game two. The Beavers moved to 13-21 overall and 5-9 in the Heartland Conference.
Defiance was holding a slim 1-0 lead in the sixth when the Beaver offense finally cracked the scoring column. Lexus Rutledge (Henderson, KY/Henderson County) reached on a Defiance miscue and pinch runner Bryn Cisco (Lancaster/Fairfield Union) raced home, tying the game at 1-1. Hayley Lewis (Kettering/Fairmont) doubled in Sydney Zinkon (Fresno/Ridgewood) and she crossed the dish when Mia McCartney (North Baltimore) smacked a base knock to left.
Junior Erin Norman (Pleasant Hill/Newton) retired the side in the top of the seventh and that was game one. She scattered five hits while improving to 7-8 on the season. Norman did not walk a batter.
Bobbi Adams (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) was back in the saddle behind the plate, going 2-of-3 in the opener.
Bluffton erased a 3-0 Defiance lead in the bottom of the third thanks to five hits and a couple Defiance errors. Adams ignited the flurry with an RBI double to right center. Rutledge picked up Madison Jones (West Milton/Milton Union) and Lewis followed with an RBI single down the left field line. Rutledge and Zinkon crossed the dish following another DC error and the Beavers led 5-3.
Eight Yellow Jacket tallies in the fourth and nine more in the fifth were more than enough as the visitors ended the game early with a 20-5 victory and series split for the Jackets.
Adams was a perfect 3-of-3, giving her five hits on Wednesday afternoon. Lewis went 2-of-2 in the nightcap. Jones fell to 3-6 after surrendering seven runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work. She struck out three and walked one.
Bluffton will wrap up its 2022 season when the Beavers travel to Transylvania University on Saturday, April 29. Game one is slated for 1 p.m. from Lexington, Ky.
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