CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bellevue University softball team received another outstanding pitching performance en route to defeating Trinity Christian College, 4-3 in eight innings, on Wednesday afternoon at Sleepy Hollow Field at THE Spring Games.
Bellevue improves to 6-7 on the year while Trinity Christian drops to 1-5 with the loss.
The Bruins wasted no time getting on the board, scoring a run in the first inning. Erin Sharpe singled to center with two outs ahead of Kayla Young who doubled to left to score Sharpe for the game's first run.
After trading zeroes through the third, Bellevue had an opportunity to break through in the fourth inning. After a pair of outs to open the inning, Sarah Zeleny and Emily Gigax came through with back-to-back singles to bring Sayde Woten to the dish. Woten lined a pitch into left center but Katelyn Sena laid out to make a diving catch and keep the score 1-0 in favor of the Bruins.
The Trolls scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Tori Grzincic led off with a single and advanced to third on an error. With nobody out Melinda Russell then singled to right field to chase in the tying run.
In extras the Bruins put up three runs. They received an RBI-single from Alex Tooley to take a 2-1 lead. Another run came in on an error and Courtney Schendt capped the inning with a run-scoring single as BU took a 4-1 lead into the bottom half.
TCC made it interesting in the bottom half, loading the bases with no outs. But Fisher bore down and the Bruins traded two runs for two outs before Sharpe put away a pop-up to end the game.
Sharpe (2-2, 2.10) recorded a no-decision despite a career-high seven strikeouts in six innings of shutout ball on the afternoon. Fisher recorded the win in relief for the Bruins.
The Bruins are back at it tomorrow with another double-header. BU plays Spring Arbor and Purdue-Calumet at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time (10 a.m. and noon CT).
