March 21, 2017
By: Colton Steiner, sports information assistant
TIFFIN, Ohio - Due to contests being postponed, the Bluffton softball team finally got back on the diamond Tuesday afternoon as they hit the road to face Heidelberg. It was a tale of two games as the Beavers went 1-1 on the day to move to 8-4 on the season. Bluffton rallied late for a 5-1 victory in game one but a six-run first in game two was too much to overcome in the 9-2 setback.
The Student Princes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning for the only run scored by either team through the first five frames. Bluffton was finally able to get on the scoreboard in the sixth inning when an RBI double by JOSIE McELROY (Mt. Orab/Western Brown) scored BRITTANY HUFF (Clayton/Northmont). The Beavers made it 3-1 after RBI's by CAYLIN MORSTADT (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) and CARLY LEVINDOFSKE (Brunswick/Magnificat). Bluffton would add two more runs in the seventh inning, capping the 5-1 victory with another RBI two-bagger from McElroy!
Leading the way for the Beavers was Josie McElroy who went 3-for-4 at the dish with three doubles and two RBI. KELSI WILSON (Pataskala/Licking Heights) chipped in two hits for the victors.
Fired up for Bluffton's first contest in 11 days was senior EMILY SCUPHOLM (Cuyahoga Falls/Our Lady of the Elms) who hurled a complete game, allowing only one run off three hits. Needing just 76 pitches, the senior fanned two batters and walked one.
In game two the Beavers got off to a rough start defensively, allowing six unearned runs in the first inning courtesy of two errors and six hits. The visitors finally cracked the scoreboard after Josie McElroy notched another RBI double following a Brittany Huff (Clayton/Northmont) two-bagger. The Student Princes added a run in the bottom of the inning to increase their lead to 7-1. The gap was too much as the Beavers dropped the nightcap by a 9-2 margin.
Bluffton mustered up just six hits in the contest as Kelsey Reeder and Brittany Huff were the only Beavers to cross home plate.
The visitors struggled defensively, allowing 11 Heidelberg hits with three errors in game two. NICOLE THOMAS (Tontogany/Otsego) took the loss as she dropped to 2-2 on the season. The junior allowed five hits and six runs, all unearned, in two-thirds of an inning. JESSIE MADZIA (Massillon/Tuslaw) worked the final 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits.
The Beavers will host Adrian in a double-header on Friday for their home opener at 3:30 p.m. They follow that up on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Albion. Come out and support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-
