KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Bellevue University softball team opened up its annual spring trip to Florida with a split on the opening day of the Spring Games, falling 3-1 in the opener to Florida National University before shutting out the University of Northwestern Ohio, 2-0 in the nightcap.
Bellevue moved to 8-7 on the season with the split.
The Bruins will continue action in the tournament on Monday (Mar. 8) when they face William Penn University at 8:00 a.m. (central time) and Dordt University at 12:30 p.m.
Florida National 3, Bellevue 1
Costly fielding errors and just one hit offensively led to a 3-1 loss to Florida National in the opener.
Neither team scored until a sacrifice fly to center field by Megen Johnson gave FNU a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Bruins responded in the top of the fifth on Lauren Russell's sacrifice fly to right field that scored Maricela Egan from third, tying the game at 1-1. Egan recorded BU's only hit of the game as the lead-off batter in the inning when she drilled a single to right and advanced to third on a throwing error.
The Conquistadors' first two batters in the sixth inning reached base on BU fielding errors leading to a pair of runs, highlighted by an RBI single to right field by Madison Bradshaw which gave FNU a 3-1 lead.
Natasha Trujillo induced three-straight fly-outs in the top of the seventh to secure the two-run victory for FNU.
Lauren Jurek (4-4) suffered the loss, allowing five hits with no walks and one strikeout in six innings of work.
Trujillo (1-4) earned the complete-game victory, giving up just one hit with no walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings in the circle.
Bellevue 2, UNOH 0
Freshman Savannah Gunn tossed a four-hit complete-game shutout and freshman Lauren Russell launched her team-leading sixth home run of the season to lead the Bruins to the 2-0 victory over UNOH in the nightcap.
A two-run homer to left field by Russell gave the Bruins a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the fourth.
Shayla Munyan led off the top of the sixth with a double to center field, but Gunn ended any threat by forcing two flyouts and a groundout to keep the score at 2-0 heading into the seventh frame.
Gunn retired the side in the top of the seventh, including striking out the final batter, Morgan Scott, to earn her second victory of the season.
Gunn (2-2) scattered four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Carlie Hanes (1-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in six innings in the circle.
