March 31, 2018
By: Colton Steiner, sports information assistant
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University softball team hit the road to face off against the Transylvania Pioneers in their first conference matchup of the year. Transylvania showed why they were the 2017 HCAC champions as they swept the Beavers on Saturday, 13-2 (5) and 9-6.
Bluffton would get on the board first after an error by the Pioneers scored MAKENZIE SCHMIDT (Caledonia/River Valley) to put the visitors up 1-0 in the top of the first. Transylvania answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single before taking a commanding 7-1 advantage entering the third after scoring six runs in the bottom of the second. Two more runs by the Pioneers increased their lead to 9-1 after three frames.
The Beavers tried to slow the onslaught when COURTNEY JASINSKI (Englewood/Northmont) singled up the middle, picking up BRITTANY HUFF (Clayton/Northmont) in the fourth. Transylvania continue their scoring burst in the bottom of the side as four more runs made the score 13-2. Bluffton was unable to spark a comeback as the run rule would be used in the first game with the Pioneers coming out on top by a 13-2 margin.
Collecting hits in the outing were Jasinski, Schmidt, CHELSEA ZOLTOWSKI (Sylvania/Southview) and KELSEY REEDER (Galion/Northmor).
NICOLE THOMAS (Tontogany/Otsego) took the loss, dropping to 3-6 on the year. Going only 1.1 innings, the senior allowed four earned runs off six hits. The Beaver hurlers would fail to record a strikeout while walking four batters in the contest.
Bluffton came out with a vengeance to start the second game of the day as an RBI double by Brittany Huff put the Beavers up 1-0 in the top of the first. The visitors recorded another run in the top of the second when CAYLIN MORSTADT (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) smacked a leadoff homer to make it a 2-0 ballgame.
Bluffton continued to add to its score as a JOSIE McELROY (Mt. Orab/Western Brown) single scored Makenzie Schmidt from third to put the Beavers up 3-0. A Caylin Morstadt sacrifice fly RBI made it a 4-0 Bluffton lead as they headed into the home half of the inning.
The Pioneers would get on the board in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs to cut the Beaver lead to 4-3. A three-run double by the home team turned the tables, giving the Pioneers a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Transylvania tacked on two scores in the fifth and another in the sixth for a 9-4 lead before the visitors went to work in the top of the seventh. Schmidt singled and Reeder reached on an error. McElroy's base knock loaded the bases for Jasinski who plated Schmidt and Reeder with her single up the middle. Megan Hill (Arcadia) reached safely to again fill the sacks, but Bluffton was unable to get any closer as 9-6 proved to be the final.
Schmidt, Huff and McElroy all rapped three hits in game two with Schmidt scoring three times. Jasinski and Morstadt both drove in two runs for the Beavers. Jessie Madzia (Massillon/Tuslaw) fell to 1-6 on the year after allowing seven runs on six hits in 4.1 innings of work with six walks and a strikeout.
Bluffton will kick back into action when the Beavers travel to Defiance College on Wednesday, April 4, to face off against the rival Yellow Jackets. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 3:30 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
