CONWAY, Ark. -- The Bellevue University softball team advanced to the championship game of the MCAC Softball Tournament with a pair of victories Friday, defeating Southwestern Christian University, 7-2, before ending the day with a 6-5 come-from-behind win over No. 4 Central Baptist College.
Bellevue (44-14), which has now won 17-straight games, will play at 1 p.m. on Friday in the championship game. Central Baptist will battle Oklahoma Wesleyan at 11 a.m. with the winner advancing to meet the Bruins.
Bellevue 7, Southwestern Christian 2
The Bruins used a five-run fifth inning, fueled by back-to-back home runs by Katie Malloy and Kathryn Wardian to surge past Southwestern Christian, 7-2, in BU's first game of the tournament.
Malloy finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Bellevue offense. Amanda Neumann also recorded a home run in the victory. Kim Wees collected two doubles, while going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Taylor Mohler improved to 20-5 on the season, scattering three hits while striking out nine and walking five in 5.1 innings of work.
Bellevue recorded 11 hits in the victory.
SW Christian...001 001 0 - 2
Bellevue...........000 151 x - 7
W: Mohler (20-5)
L: Gaines (10-15)
2B: BU, Wees 2; SWC: Payne
HR: BU, Malloy, Wardian, Neumann
Bellevue 6, Central Baptist 5
The Bruins erased a 5-1 deficit, scoring five runs in the fourth, then held on for the 6-5 win over the host Mustangs.
The loss snapped CBC's 14-game winning streak and a string of eight-consecutive shutouts, dropping the Mustangs to 47-5 on the season.
After Mohler gave up a pair of walks and a three-run homer to Christen Kirchner in the first inning, she was replaced by Shelby Kindelin (11-4) who collected the win, scattering seven hits with one walk while striking out two batters in seven innings of work.
Malloy led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to cut the lead to 5-2. After Wardian walked and Augusta Ratliff singled to right field, Katie Tew tied the game on a three-run homer to left-center field. Neumann gave the Bruins a 6-5 lead on an RBI double to right field that plated Kindelin who reached on an error.
Kindelin was able to shut down the Mustangs the final four innings to secure the win.
The MCAC Pitcher of the Year Jessica Bock (25-3) suffered just her third loss of the year, despite striking out 11 batters.
Bellevue ............001 500 0 - 6 8 0
Central Baptist..302 000 0 - 5 8 1
W: Kindelin (11-4)
L: Bock (25-3)
2B: BU, Wees, Neumann; CB, Chudy
HR: CB, Kirchner, Gunter; BU, Malloy, Tew
