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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Top-seeded Oklahoma City University belted three home runs en route to a 7-2 win over Bellevue University at the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round Tuesday at Ann Lacy Stadium.
Bellevue (40-10) will play at 6 p.m. tonight in a loser's bracket game againt the winner of the 3 p.m. contest between Freed-Hardeman University and Hastings College. The fourth-ranked Stars (49-12) advanced to the championship game at noon on Wednesday (May 15).
The two teams combined for five home runs, with the Bruins' registering two solo shots.
Kelsie Bridgeford led the Bruins at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI.
Bridgeford gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second innning with a solo homer over the center field fence.
The Stars responded in the top of the third, scoring a pair of runs on an RBI triple to right-center field by Kyndra Holasek and on an RBI double to right-center by LeeAnn Lopez, giving OCU a 2-1 advantage.
The Bruins tied it up at 2-2 in the bottom of the third on a solo homer to right field by Shelby Kindelin.
A two-run homer deep down the right field line by Emily Krienke gave the Stars a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth frame and OCU made it 6-2 on a two-run blast over the left field fence by Drew Wright in the top of the fifth.
The Stars added an insurance run in the top of the seventh with a solo home run by Magean De La Torre to push the OCU lead to 7-2.
Jamie Rateliff (23-3) earned the win after replacing starter Danielle Fox in the third inning. Rateliff scattered two hits with five strikeouts, two walks, and no runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Kindelin (14-4) suffered the loss, giving up four runs on four hits in two innings in the circle.
Note: The Opening Round consists of 10 four-team double-elimination tournaments across the country with the 10 winners competing in the NAIA Softball National Championship final site on May 24-30 in Columbus, Ga. This is the first season the NAIA has used the Opening Round format for softball.
