ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- Their 13-game win streak had the national raters taking notice as the Bellevue University softball team received votes in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll for the first time since the pre-season. The Bruins won the opener over Northwestern College by a 7-1 count to extend their win streak to 14 games behind a strong all-around performance in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon. Unfortunately for BU their win streak came to a halt in game two, as they fell 11-3 in five innings.
Bellevue runs their record to 22-14 on the year while Northwestern is now 13-20.
BU heads back to the dirt diamond on Thursday for a 4 p.m. twin-bill against Hastings College before jumping back into league play this weekend.
Game One: Bellevue 7, Northwestern 1
Bellevue exploded for five runs in the sixth to turn a 2-1 nail-biter into a comfortable 7-1 victory over Northwestern in game one of a non-conference double-header. The offensive out-pouring was in support of yet another strong start from right-hander Kelli Fisher.
Fisher (15-8, 1.27) picked up the win in the circle, allowing just a run on five hits. She struck out five and walked three. It marked the eighth-straight start – 12th-straight appearance – for Fisher in which she allowed one earned run or fewer.
The Bruins struck out a pair of runs in the second inning to grab an early 2-0 lead. Sayde Woten scored on a passed ball before a single by Sarah Zeleny chased in Kaitlyn Goney with the game's second run.
Northwestern got a run back in the third inning when Laura Hurley singled home Clare Ipema to cut the Bruin lead in half.
Things came apart for the Red Raiders in the sixth. After loading the bases with no outs, Bellevue scored a run when Kayla Young was hit by a pitch. Emily Gigax followed with a sac fly to right to score Alex Tooley and advance the other two runners on the play. Erin Sharpe capped the scoring with a three-run home on a full count, putting Bellevue up 7-1 and all but securing the win.
Game Two: Northwestern 11, Bellevue 3 (5)
Bellevue answered Northwestern early but couldn't keep up with the hosts, falling 11-3 in five innings to the home-standing Red Raiders.
The Red Raiders jumped on the board first with a run in the opening inning. After reaching via walk, Jessica Rayela came around to score on Monserrat Figueroa's single to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
Bellevue responded in the third inning. Sydney Robertson led off the frame with a single and Emily Gigax reached behind her after getting hit by a pitch for the 12th time this season which is a new BU single-season record. The next batter up, Emily Miller, drove a 3-2 pitch over the wall for her third long ball of the season, putting Bellevue up 3-1.
Securing a shutdown inning proved too elusive a task for Bellevue, as Northwestern plated three runs in the home half of the third to reclaim the lead, 4-3. The big blow came via a two-run home run by Laura Hurley after NWC pulled within one on a run-scoring double by Rayela.
Northwestern pounced for five more runs in the fourth to increase their lead to 9-3 before ending the contest early with two runs in the ninth to invoke the 8-run rule.
