By: Ethan Stearns, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader with Franklin College on Saturday, April 15, 2023. The first game ended with a final score of 14-1 and the second was 12-3, both in six innings. Bluffton slipped to 11-17 overall and 0-6 in conference play, while the Grizzlies upped their mark to an impressive 20-8 and 3-3 in the Heartland Conference.
Game number one included an eight-tally sixth inning for the Grizzlies which would propel the team to a 14-1 mercy-rule victory. The lone Beaver run was produced on a swing from freshman Riley Hammonds (Russia) that forced a Franklin error and opened the door for pinch runner Bryn Cisco (Lancaster/Fairfield Union) to score.
Seniors Bobbi Adams (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) and Sydney Zinkon (Fresno/Ridgewood) both connected for two hits.
Erin Norman (Pleasant Hill/Newton) fell to 6-9 with the loss, tossing five innings and allowing six runs on 10 hits. Grace Fillinger (Hinckley/Highland) also worked an inning in the lidlifter.
The game looked promising after the first frame as Adams smacked an RBI single down the right field line, driving in Kryshel Dales (Defiance/Ayersville) and making it 2-1 Grizzlies heading to the second. Franklin put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in innings three, four, five and six to put the game on ice. The final Bluffton tallies came on a two-run smash to center by Adams as the Grizzlies wrapped up their 12-3 victory.
Adams was on fire, going 3-of-3 with all three RBIs. She finished the afternoon 5-of-6 at the dish!
Junior Katie Fleshman (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) fell to 0-3 with the defeat, allowing 10 tuns on six hits with five walks. Fillinger stood on the bump for the final 1.2 innings and she limited the visitors to two scores.
The Beavers will make the trip to Anderson on Wednesday, April 19, for a pair with the Ravens in a conference matchup. Game one is slated for 3 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
