OMAHA, Neb. -- A walk-off home run in the opener and a shutout in the second game saw the Bellevue University softball team open North Star Athletic Association play with a sweep of Mayville State University on Friday afternoon.
Bellevue improves to 15-11 overall and opens NSAA play at 2-0 with the sweep while Mayville falls to 2-10 (0-2 NSAA).
Game One: BU 7, MSU 6
Bellevue dug out of an early 3-0 hole with a barrage of home runs to pick up a 7-6 comeback win to open the four-game set with Mayville State.
Three-straight batters reached for the Comets to begin the games as back-to-back extra-base hits from Mackenzie Duval and Shaye Kemball, a triple and double, respectively, put the Comets up 2-0 in the top of the first.
MSU tacked on another run in the second for a 3-0 advantage before Ellie Bliemeister delivered a two-run homer to left-center to pull BU within a run, 3-2.
Trailing by a run with two on and two outs in the third, Emily Rochford belted a hooking fly ball down the left field line that stayed inside the foul pole for a three-run shot.
Mayville answered with a three-run fifth inning to take a 6-5 before Bliemeister doubled home Lauren Russell to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame.
The score remained tied with two out in the home half of the seventh as Russell drilled a line drive over the fence in right center to give BU a walk-off 7-6 victory.
Lauren Jurek (8-5) went the distance in the circle for the Bruins to earn the win. Sidney Fairbanks (1-3) took the loss in relief for the Comets.
Game Two: BU 3, MSU 0
Savannah Gunn (5-4) fired a complete game five-hit shutout to secure the sweep.
Bellevue got all the offense they needed in the home half of the first as Ashley Young singled home Maricela Egan before coming in to score on a fielder's choice by Emily Rochford.
Madison Machacek provided the Bruins an insurance run in the fourth with a sac fly to score pinch runner Emily Mendick who took over on second after Rochford led off the frame with a double. Mendick stole third with one out and tagged up to score on Machacek's fly ball to center.
Mayville loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh but Gunn induced a comebacker off the bat of Bailey Larkin and fired home for the force out to end the game.
Shaye Kemball (0-3) allowed three runs on four hits and three walks for the Comets.
Up Next:
The Bruins and Comets resume their four-game series tomorrow with a double-header scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Omaha South.
