For the second straight week, Bluffton University senior Bobbi Adams (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) has been named the Heartland Conference Hitter of the Week. It also marks the third consecutive week that a Bluffton softball player has been recognized as an HCAC Player of the Week. Erin Norman (Pleasant Hill/Newton) was named Pitcher of the Week on March 4.

Adams helped the Beavers sweep Heidelberg University on a rainy Thursday afternoon. She went 3-of-6 with two homers and three runs scored. Adams slugged it at a 1.500 clip and finished with a .700 on-base percentage thanks to four unintentional intentional walks, including three free passes in the final three innings of game two.

March 22 vs. Wilmington
WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball team split a non-conference twin-bill at Wilmington on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Bluffton moved to 8-6, while the Quakers stand 9-5.

Senior Sammi Urban (Troy/Miami East) smacked a leadoff triple to right center in game one and crossed the dish courtesy of a Bobbi Adams (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) RBI groundout. Sophomore Mia McCartney (North Baltimore) made it 2-0 in the first when she scurried home following a wild pitch.

Adams pushed it to 4-0 an inning later with her base knock to center that plated freshmen Kaylee Grant (Lima/Shawnee) and Ashley Kloeker (Troy).

The home team scored a run in the third and Bluffton limited the damage with a 5-3-2 double play to end the inning. Another RBI single by Adams in the fourth put the Beavers up 5-1 midway through the opener.

Wilmington rallied with three runs in the home fifth before Grace Fillinger (Hinckley/Highland) came in with no outs and slammed the door. She worked three scoreless frames, allowing just two hits with two strikeouts en route to her first save of the season.

Adams went 2-of-4 with four RBI. Fellow senior Sydney Zinkon (Fresno/Ridgewood) added two safeties and Urban scored two runs. Erin Norman (Pleasant Hill/Newton) moved to 5-2 after allowing four runs on eight hits in four innings of work.

The Quakers scored all they would need and then some when they put up eight runs in the third inning of the nightcap. Bluffton bounced back with two tallies in the fourth and another in the sixth, but a Wilmington score in the fourth and two in the home sixth ended game two in mercy-rule fashion.

Adams, who finished with four hits on Wednesday, and Julia Tegeder (Hamilton) both rapped two hits in the series finale. Fillinger slipped to 3-2 on the season. She surrendered four runs on four hits while going 2.1 innings in the circle.

Bluffton is off until next Tuesday, March 28, when the Beavers kick off three straight trips to Michigan with a non-conference series at Calvin College. Game one is slated for 3 p.m.