YORK, Neb. -- The Bellevue University softball team swept a mid-week double-header against York College on Tuesday evening in non-conference action. Bellevue won the opener by a final count of 5-4 before claiming a 12-4 win in six innings in the nightcap.
Bellevue improves to 17-13 on the season with their ninth straight win while York dips to 10-24.
The Bruins return to the diamond at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday when they venture to Fremont, Neb. for a non-conference double-header at Midland.
Game One: Bellevue 5, York 4
Michaela Miller's two-run double in the fifth accounted for the eventual game-winning run as Bellevue topped York 5-4 in the first game between the former MCAC rivals.
Bellevue struck for first blood in the second inning. After a walk to Maddie Siedlik and a single by Alex Tooley to lead off the inning, Courtney Schendt followed up with a double to left to plate both runners and give the Bruins an early 2-0 advantage.
The Bruins stretched their advantage to three runs when Emily Gigax drove a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall to lead off the top of the third.
That three-run cushion was short-lived as York scored two runs in the home half of the inning. Molly Reyes doubled in a run and later came around to score on a base hit by Lilianna Herrera.
Bellevue struck for two additional runs to reclaim their three-run lead on a two-run double by Miller in the fifth. That hit would prove to be the game-winner.
York scored a pair of runs in the sixth to again pull within a run but couldn't tie it up to force extras. The two runs in the sixth came on a two-run home run by Brianna Perez with no outs.
Tooley and Gigax each had a pair of hits for the Bruins on the game.
Erin Sharpe (5-5, 2.79) picked up the win in the circle to even her record at .500 after pitching six innings for BU. She was charged with four runs on seven hits and struck out four.
Kelli Fisher came on to work the seventh, setting the side down in quick order to notch her third save of the season which ties a school single-season record and moves her into sole possession of third on the career list in that category.
Game Two: Bellevue 12, York 4 (6 Inn.)
Emily Gigax and Erin Sharpe each homered and drove in four runs to lead the Bruins to a 12-4 run-rule shortened victory in the nightcap to secure the sweep over the Panthers.
The Bruins used a pair of big innings – scoring four times in the second and six times in the fourth – to out-slug the home-standing Panthers.
York got on the board first, scoring a run in the first inning on a double by Brianna Perez.
The Bruins responded with the first of their two big innings. All of the damage came with two outs with Courtney Schendt jump-starting the offense with a solo home run to get BU on the board. After a single from Katie Franzen and an error allowed Sayde Woten to reach, Emily Gigax stepped up and drove a three-run home run over the left field fence to put Bellevue up 4-1.
The lead was short-lived as the Panthers struck for three runs in the bottom of the second to tie the game up at 4-4.
That's where the score remained until the fourth inning when the Bruin offense exploded again. BU scored six times in the inning with the big blow coming via a grand slam from Sharpe.
Bellevue added single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to gain an eight-run lead and inducing the mercy rule.
Michaela Miller (1-0, 0.00) earned the win with 1.1 innings of work in relief of Franzen who made her first collegiate start. Sharpe – despite the margin – earned her second save of the year as the result of a seldom-used rule allowing for a save to be awarded when a reliever pitches three innings to end a victory.
