April 5, 2017
BLUFFTON, Ohio - A pair of delays for lightning and rain ended game two before the required five innings as Bluffton improved to 15-6 overall in 1-2 in the Heartland Conference thanks to a 2-0 shutout in the opener. Defiance slipped to 10-11 and 0-1 in the HCAC.
Senior stalwart Emily Scupholm (Cuyahoga Falls/Our Lady of the Elms) worked around a one-out bases-loaded jam in the top of the first and never looked back. She scattered five hits over the last six innings en route to her second shutout of the season.
Bluffton had the sacks full with one down in the second but the home team was unable to make hay until the bottom of the fifth when Jessie Madzia (Massillon/Tuslaw) went yard for the third time in as many games. Her bomb down the left field line plated Makenzie Schmidt (Caledonia/River Valley) who led off the frame with an infield single.
Chelsea Zoltowski (Sylvania/Southview) went 2-of-3 for the Beavers while Madzia drove in both runs with her third homer of the season.
Scupholm upped her mark to 8-2 following a 6-hit shutout of the rival Jackets. She struck out three and walked three while seeing her ERA drop to 1.74 on the season.
Bluffton is slated to travel to Capital tomorrow for a 3;30 p.m. meeting with the Crusaders. The Beavers step back into HCAC action when they head to Hanover College on Saturday, April 8 (1 PM).
