By Mallory Kemper, sports information intern
The Bluffton University softball team hosted undefeated and #14 Adrian College on March 31 in a doubleheader and lost 5-0 and 1-0 in a thrilling nine-inning nightcap. The Beavers fell to 10-9 on the season while Adrian stayed perfect at 20-0.
The Bulldogs opened the third inning with a single from Katrina Wotten. She advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored following a Bluffton miscue.
Adrian scored another run in the fifth inning and scored three more times in the seventh inning to take a 5-0 lead. In the seventh inning, Natalie Nikitas (Jeffersonville, Ind.) walked and Paige Gerdeman (Columbus Grove) singled to center field, but Adrian closed it out without allowing a run for the 5-0 win.
Kayla Owens (Cincinnati/McAuley) slipped to 4-6, despite a solid outing in which she allowed five runs to the high-powered Bulldog offense on 10 hits in 6.2 innings of work. Kelly Eberhardt improved to 11-0, allowing just three hits in her seven-inning shutout.
The second game of the doubleheader was a fierce battle between the pitchers. Sophomore Stevie Cuttitta (Columbiaville, Mich./Clio) fell to 3-2 on the season, but she threw a marvelous nine innings, giving up a single unearned run while scattering seven hits.
Freshman pinch hitter Jessica Wilhelm (Piqua) nearly sent the Beavers to victory with a bomb down the left field line that was called foul in the bottom of the sixth inning. Shelby Erford (Paulding) collected both of Bluffton's safeties in game two.
Eberhardt got her 12th win of the year, going all nine innings while only giving up two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. She finished the afternoon with 16 shutout innings to her credit to go along with 19 strikeouts.
In the ninth inning for the Bulldogs, Dewyre was placed at second due to the international tiebreaker. Sarah Hall singled up in the middle, sending Dewyre to third base. Kristin Toney plated Dewyre on an error by the Beavers. Bluffton had one more chance in the bottom of the ninth to score against the undefeated Adrian College Bulldogs, but fell short in a thriller.
The Beavers jump right back into action on Saturday, April 2, when they host two-time defending champion Transylvania University in a Heartland Conference matchup. The first contest is slated for 1 p.m. in Bluffton, Ohio.
