Pirates Come Back, Advance to Districts

Bluffton softball advanced to district play with a thrilling come-from-behind 9-8 victoy over Columbus Grove Friday night at Pandora-Gilboa.  The game was postponed two different nights before a break in the weather allowed the contest to happen on a windy evening in Putnam County.

Columbus Grove wasted no time, bolting out to a 7-2 lead after just three innings.  Bluffton aided the Bulldogs with a trio of errors, possibly showing some rust after a flurry of games were rained out late in the season.  However, the Bluffton bats started to wake up in the fourth as they pushed two runs across to make it 7-4.  Then came the fifth. 

Bluffton strung together hit after hit and put up five big runs in the fifth inning to take a 9-7 lead going into the sixth.  Carrie Bassitt was on the hill for Bluffton and picked up the win but not without a little late game excitement.  With two out and two on in the seventh, a pop fly fell in for a hit for Grove and one run scored, making it 9-8.  However, Bassitt pitched out of the jam, inducing a game ending groundout.  Molly Lengyel had four hits for Bluffton, including a triple in the fifth.

BHS advanced to the Wapakoneta district where they will take on Marion Local.