The Bluffton University softball team traveled to Lexington, Ky., for its final games of the 2022 season. Transylvania squeaked out a 6-5 victory in the lidlifter before staking its claim to first place in the Heartland Conference with a 15-0 mercy-rule win in game two.

Transy scored in the first three innings of the opener for a 5-0 lead which stood until inning seven when the Beaver bats came to life. A Sydney Zinkon (Fresno/Ridgewood) single to left center got the visitors on the board as Lily Tate (Mount Gilead/Northmor) and Madison Jones (West Milton/Milton Union) both crossed the dish.

Sammi Urban (Troy/Miami East) singled home pinch runner Bryn Cisco (Lancaster/Fairfield Union) before a Hayley Lewis (Kettering/Fairmont) two-bagger down the left field line knotted the game up at 5-5 as she picked up Zinkon and Urban.

The Pioneers strung together three hits in the bottom of the frame, including a game-winning bunt, to keep their hopes of hosting the HCAC tournament alive, taking game one by a 6-5 count.

Junior Erin Norman (Pleasant Hill/Newton) took the loss after turning a complete-game effort. She allowed six runs on 14 hits in 6.1 inning of work with two strikeouts.

Lewis, Zinkon and Bobbi Adams (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) all cracked two hits in game one with Zinkon and Lewis both driving in a pair of runs.

Game two saw the home team jump out to a quick 7-0 lead after one frame en route to a 15-0 victory that clinched at least a first-place tie for Transy.

Lexus Rutledge (Henderson, Ky./Henderson County) finished with two of Bluffton's six hits in the capper. Norman took the loss after surrendering five runs on four hits in the first inning.

With the 2022 Bluffton softball season complete, next comes the Heartland Conference awards which are slated to be announced late next week.