KISSIMMEE, FLA. -- The Baldwin-Wallace College softball team opened the 2012 season by splitting a pair of games today (Sunday, March 4, 2012) against Aurora (Ill.) University and Beloit (Wis.) College on the first day of the annual Rebel Spring Games at the Osceola County Softball Complex.

B-W fell to Aurora by a final score of 1-0 in an eight inning extra affair  while the Yellow Jackets offense came to life in a 12-0 shutout of Beloit in six innings.   B-W will play eight more games in four days.

In game one, the Yellow Jackets and the Spartans combined for four hits in seven scoreless innings.  The game went to international tiebreaker rules, in which a runner was automatically placed at second base to start the each extra inning played.  Aurora scored the game's lone run on a base hit down the left field line.  B-W was unable to advance its runner home in the bottom of the eighth.

Despite the loss, sophomore pitcher Tabitha Murray (Mogadore/Field) allowed one unearned run on three hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts in a career-best eight innings pitched. The Yellow Jackets got their two hits from senior second baseman Katie Finley (Vermilion) and sophomore third baseman Lauren Feciuch (Kent/Field).

In game two, the B-W offense exploded for 12 runs on 18 hits against the Buccaneers. The Yellow Jacket offense was led by Murray and sophomore left fielder Ashley Elber (Milan/Edison) as each recorded three hits, including a triple and two runs batted in. In addition, sophomore catcher Meghan Kossow (Tonawanda, N.Y.) had a career-high three runs batted in.

On the mound, senior pitcher Sarah Baker (Mentor/Lake Catholic) shut down the Beloit offense as she allowed just four singles in six innings.  With the victory, Baker moved into sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list with 38.   She now needs just three victories to become the all-time leader in victories in school history.

B-W continues play at the Rebel Spring Games tomorrow (Monday, March 5, 2012) as it will face Simpson (Iowa) College and Waynesburg (Pa.) University on the second day of action.  The Yellow Jackets play at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.eduFans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.