RICHMOND, Ind. – The Earlham College softball team split a conference doubleheader with Bluffton University on Saturday afternoon in Ellie Bewley Stadium. 

GAME ONE: EARLHAM 2 BLUFFTON 3 (8 Innings) 

Tatum Rickert threw a complete game with eight innings pitched, one earned run and eight strikeouts. The sophomore allowed eight hits, and just two walks. 

Emmerie Stump scored two hits, with a run scored. Shelby Hill earned two RBI with one run scored and a homer. 

The Beavers plated a run in the top of the first inning after a one-out double. 

Stump reached on a single as the first Quaker baserunner in the bottom of the first inning, and came home on a homer to straight-away center by Hill for a 2-1 Quaker lead. 

Bluffton led off the top of the third with a single, and scored an unearned run after a hit and an error. 

Tied 2-2 after seven innings of action, the teams went to extra innings with a runner starting on second base. Bluffton hit a leadoff single, and scored the go-ahead run on a sac bunt in the top of the eighth. With the free runner on third and one out, the Quakers went 0-2 with two strikeouts to end the game. 

GAME TWO: EARLHAM 7 BLUFFTON 0

Morgan Cooksey threw a complete game shutout in game two, allowing two hits and one walk, while striking out six batters.

Offensively, Ashley Lewis went 3-4 with two runs, two RBI and a double. Malaya Tanglao went 1-2 with a double, and a run scored. 

After a one-out single to earn the first Quaker baserunner of the game, Lewis scored on a passed ball to put the hosts up 1-0. Lewis then added to the lead with a two-run double in the bottom of the third inning. 

Macie Ferguson earned a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Lewis hit a single and the pair executed a double steal with no outs. Stump then brought the first run of the inning home with a single up the middle. Lewis came home on a fielding error on a ball put in play by Hill, and Drew Tubesing hit a sacrifice fly to bring Stump home for a 6-0 lead. 

The Quakers earned two one-out walks in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Mikayla Newland came home to score on an RBI-groundout by Ariel Clarkston. 

The Quakers continue HCAC play tomorrow at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with a doubleheader beginning at 1 pm. The Quakers (8-4) are currently in third place in the HCAC standings with just over a week remaining in the regular season.