April 14, 2015
By: Ryan Ebbeskotte, sports information assistant
ANDERSON, Ind. - The Bluffton University softball team traveled to Anderson University on Tuesday, April 14, for a doubleheader. The Beavers headed into the contest on a 10-game winning streak, but the Ravens halted it emphatically as they swept the visitors. Bluffton slipped to 19-14 on the season and 6-4 in the HCAC, while Anderson stands at 16-6 and 8-2 in the HCAC.
The Beavers started slowly, going down with little resistance through the first three innings, while Anderson held a 2-0 lead entering the fourth. BRITTANY BAKER (Springboro) led off the top of the fourth inning with a double to right center. JOSIE MCELROY (Mt. Orab/Western Brown) followed with a two-bagger of her own to bring Baker home, making the score 2-1.
Bluffton kept the runs coming in the fifth inning. Seniors JO BONDRA (Highland Heights/Mayfield) and ARIANA MUFFO (New Athens, Ill.) singled and moved up on a wild pitch to get into scoring position. Both came around as JESS KUZARA (Flat Rock, Mich./Huron) reached on a throwing error to take a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
That is when it all came undone for the visitors. Anderson would retake the lead after scoring five runs on just three hits in the bottom half to head into the sixth up, 7-3. A hit batter, two wild pitches, one of which saw two Ravens cross the dish, a free pass and misjudged fly added up to five runs before the dust settled.
The Beavers managed just one hit in the final two frames while Anderson tacked on three insurance tallies in the sixth for a 10-3 victory in the lidlifter.
CHLOE SHELL (Covington) fell to 9-5 on the season after allowing five runs on five hits with two strikeouts, two walks and three hit batters in 4.1 innings of work.
In the second game, Bluffton came out of the gate swinging as they scored three runs thanks to a three-run bomb by Kuzara after Muffo led off with a single and Baker was hit by a pitch. The Ravens answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to two Bluffton errors.
Anderson added another run on a Megan Wade homer in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game heading into the third. The Beavers threatened to score in the third inning with a pair of two-out singles but were unable to convert.
Bluffton again was able to put pressure on the Raven defense in the fourth inning, but a line drive double play left the score tied 3-3 where it would stay through seven before the contest headed into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, the Beavers were unable to put a run on the board, but the Ravens executed with a runner on third base to end the game 4-3 with a walk-off single.
JESSIA MADZIA (Massillon/Tuslaw) dropped to 7-6 on the season in a strong effort that saw the freshman allow four runs, just one earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work. Madzia issued just one walk and hit a batter.
Kuzara went 1-of-3 with three RBI on her long ball. Muffo and McElroy both finished with two hits in game two.
Bluffton University hosts the Franklin College Grizzlies on Saturday, April 18, for Strike-out Cancer Day with the first game scheduled for 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
