NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – Manchester University moved within a win of a 20-victory slate and closed its 2016 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference campaign at .500 Wednesday, April 27.

Junior right-handed pitcher Anna Schillinger (Fort Wayne, Ind.) reached the 10-win mark in the opener, baffling visiting Bluffton University on three hits while striking out three in a 79-pitch, one-hour,
nine-minute gem. She received enough support from the Spartans' offense with one swing of the bat. Freshman shortstop Mandi Boggs (Frankfort, Ind.) cracked a solo home run deep over the left field fence which was the final margin in a 1-0 victory.

Coach Josh Dzurick's squad tried to catch lightning in a bottle again in the nightcap. Sending Schillinger back to the pitcher's circle, MU (19-15 overall, 8-8 HCAC) kept the Beavers (15-21 overall, 3-11 HCAC) tied at 1-1 through four frames. However, BU got a two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth to break up the draw and added two more in the seventh to aid starting pitcher Nicole Thomas' complete-game 4-1 decision. The Black and Gold's offense was led by senior designated hitter Kaile Niezgodski (South Bend, Ind.) in game two with two singles.

The Spartans are scheduled to resume a string of six games in five days Thursday, April 28, traveling to Hope College of Michigan. First pitch time is 3:30 p.m.

NOTES: Boggs' round tripper was part of a two-hit effort in game one. It continued a stretch of four successive contests with multiple hits. The streak closed in the nightcap, but the freshman's batting average rose above .300 for the second time this season after the first game … Niezgodski continued to provide a steadying influence at the plate for the Black and Gold. Her combined three-for-five outing in the doubleheader meant she's had at least one hit in five of the eight games she's appeared in … With shutouts in each of Manchester University's last two midweek conference twinbills, Schillinger has seen her earned run average drop just under 45 points since mid-April (3.56-3.13).