B-W stats: http://www.bluffton.edu/sports/softball/2012/03-06-s1.htm
I Hiram stats: http://www.bluffton.edu/sports/softball/2012/03-06-s2.htm
Freshman hurler Chloe Shell (Covington) was just what the doctor ordered as the Beavers bounced back from a disappointing 7-3 setback at the hands of Baldwin-Wallace. She limited the potent Hiram lineup to just four hits and one unearned run in Bluffton's 7-1 victory over the Terriers. The Bluffton softball team moved to 3-1, while Hiram slipped to 2-4 with a pair of Tuesday losses.
Bluffton scored a run in each of the first three innings en route to a 3-1 lead over B-W in the 9 a.m. contest at Oren Brown. In the top of the first, senior Meagan Price (Toledo/Springfield) drew a leadoff walk and came around thanks to an RBI double from fellow captain Emily Manahan (Columbus/Bishop Watterson).
Junior Shelby Wade (Delaware/Buckeye Valley) stole home in the second inning before Lindsay Robertson (Cincinnati/Northwest) plated fellow freshman Katie Clark (Palestine, Ind.) with a single down the third base line. The Yellow Jackets took over from there, scoring three in the bottom of the third, one in the fourth and two more in the fifth for a 7-3 victory in the lidlifter on Tuesday.
Sophomore Kayla Owens (Cincinnati/McAuley) fell to 1-1 after allowing four runs on nine hits in just 2.1 innings of work. Bluffton managed only three hits while the teams combined for 11 walks.
The Beavers recovered from the setback quickly, putting four runs up on the scoreboard following a one-two-three inning from Shell in the first frame of game two. Price opened with a free pass, moved up on a passed ball and went to third on Chelsie Osborne's (Waverly) infield hit.
Osborne promptly stole second before Clark laced a two-run single through the right side. Manahan followed with a base hit, forcing Hiram to go to the bullpen before a batter was retired. Freshman Brittany Baker (Springboro) made it 4-0 with her two-run double to left center.
A Bluffton error led to Hiram's only run of the game in the top of the third, but the Beavers salted it away with three tallies in the fifth frame. Robertson drove in freshman pinch runner Jenelle Theisen (Carleton, MI/St. Mary Catholic Central) with a base hit to left before Alexandra Haugh (Highland, Ind./Andrean) made it 7-1 with her two-bagger to the wall in right center. Robertson and Manahan both crossed the dish on Haugh's run-scoring double.
Shell finished what she started, picking up her first victory as a Beaver. She fanned four and did not walk a batter in the complete game four-hitter. Haugh, Baker and Clark all drove in two runs as eight Beavers collected hits in the win.
Bluffton returns to action with a 9 a.m. meeting against Aurora on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Wednesday games are slated for the OCSC fields.
