Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Bellevue University softball team scored seven runs in the sixth inning of the opener and overcame a 1-0 deficit in the seventh inning of the nightcap to pull out a 7-0, 2-1 doubleheader sweep over Northwestern (Iowa) College Thursday afternoon at Westgate Field.
The Bruins improved to 14-6 with the two wins. Northwestern dropped to 9-11 on the season.
Bellevue will travel to Sioux City, Iowa on Friday-Saturday, March 29-30, to participate in the Morningside Invitational.
Game 1: Bellevue 7, Northwestern 0
Senior Amanda Neumann tossed a one-hit complete-game shutout, while driving in three runs as the Bruins broke a scoreless tie with seven sixth-inning runs en route to the 7-0 victory in the opener.
Neumann, who started the game with five consecutive strikeouts, improved to 4-1 on the season, collecting nine strikeouts with no walks in seven innings of work.
Neither team scored until Kim Wees' RBI double in the bottom of the sixth gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead. After a bases-load walk and hit batsmen, Neumann ripped a three-run double to deep center field to give BU a 6-0 advantage. Kelsie Bridgeford scored the final run on an RBI single to second base to extend the lead to 7-0.
Neumann finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Wees went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Kara Nonnemacher's triple to center field in the top of the third was the lone hit for the Raiders.
Game 2: Bellevue 2, Northwestern 1
The Bruins scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to escape with the 2-1 win in the nightcap.
The Raiders scored their first run of the day on an infield single RBI by Clarissa Ipema in the top of the fifth inning.
Bridgeford led off the seventh inning with a double off the center field fence and was moved to third with a single to center by Katie Malloy before coming home on a sacrifice fly to left field by Wees, tying the game at 1-1.
After loading the bases, Alyssa Matoba drove in the winning run with an infield single that scored Malloy from third.
Shelby Kindelin (5-2) replaced Taylor Mohler in the sixth inning, earning the win while not allowing a hit, fanning one batter and walking one in two innings of work.
