April 2, 2017
By: Colton Steiner, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball squad hit the diamond on a Sunday afternoon to face off against the Transylvania Pioneers. It was a tough day for the Beavers as they dropped both games of the doubleheader, losing the first game in extra innings (4-2) and the second game by a 6-4 margin. The Beavers fell to 14-6 on the season and 0-2 in the HCAC, while Transylvania improved to 15-6 and 2-0 in the conference.
Despite being down 1-0, the Beavers would score two runs in the bottom of the third thanks to a two-run bomb to left by JESSIE MADZIA (Massillon/Tuslaw) which put Bluffton up 2-1. Transylvania knotted it up in the top of the seventh following a Bluffton error. The Pioneers took advantage of the momentum, scoring two runs in the top of the eighth and the Beavers were unable to answer.
Bluffton struggled to get anything going offensively as the home team mustered up only five hits in the outing. CHELSEA ZOLTOWSKI (Sylvania/Southview) and KELSEY REEDER (Galion/Northmor) each went 1-for-3 in the loss.
On the hill for the Beavers was EMILY SCUPHOLM (Cuyahoga Falls/Our Lady of the Elms) who fanned three batters in the heartbreaking complete-game setback. Dropping to 7-2 on the year, the lone senior allowed four runs, three earned, off seven Pioneer hits.
Opening up game two with four unearned runs in the top of the first, the Pioneers used the energy they finished game one with. Bluffton finally got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a solo homer from Jessie Madzia, making the score 4-3.
Transylvania answered with two runs in the sixth to make it 6-3 in favor of the Pioneers. KELSI WILSON (Pataskala/Licking Heights) belted her first long ball of the season to left center in the sixth, but the Beavers were unable to get any offense in the seventh as they dropped the 6-4 decision.
JOSIE McELROY (Mt. Orab/Western Brown) led Bluffton with two hits in game two.
NICOLE THOMAS (Tontogany/Otsego) fell to 4-3 with the loss after going five innings and allowing six runs, two earned, on nine hits. Jessie Madzia tossed the final two innings for the Beavers. She allowed two hits with a strikeout
Next up for Bluffton is a home game on Wednesday, April 5 against rival Defiance College with the first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m. Come out and support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-
