BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Following a four-week reprieve from league play the Bellevue University softball team jumped back into North Star Athletic Association games with a sweep over Presentation College on Sunday afternoon at the Lied Center.
The Bruins claimed a 4-1 win in the first game of the day before the offense came alive with a 10-1 five inning victory in game two. Bellevue improves to 21-8 overall and 6-2 in NSAA play, tied atop the conference standings with the University of Jamestown. Presentation drops to 12-16 overall and 2-4 in league play.
Bellevue and Presentation return to the diamond tomorrow with a 1 p.m. double-header at the Lied Center.
Game One: Bellevue 4, Presentation 1
Bellevue jumped out to an early lead and never trailed behind a terrific effort in the circle from starter Erin Sharpe (W, 4-0).
Emily Miller put the Bruins on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run double to left-center that plated Kaitlyn Kinman and Sharpe who reached earlier in the inning via a hit by pitch and walk, respectively.
Miller had a big game at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with three doubles. Sydney Robertson had the Bruins' other extra-base hit, a fifth inning triple, before coming in to score the Bruins third run of the game on Hannah Carter's sac fly.
Bellevue capped their scoring with a run in the sixth on a sac fly from Alex Tooley.
Sharpe fired six innings of four-hit ball and held PC to just one run while striking out five batters against just one walk.
Kelli Fisher (Save, 2) came on to replace Sharpe in the seventh after three-straight Saints reached base and PC pulled within three at 4-1. Fisher struck out two batters and retired a third on a ground ball to preserve the victory.
Reigning NSAA Pitcher of the Week Megan Mendonca (L, 2-5) was dealt the loss after being charged with allowing three earned runs (four total) on five hits and a walk in six innings of work.
Game Two: Bellevue 10, Presentation 1 (5 Inn.)
Bellevue scored 10-straight unanswered runs en route to a 10-1, run-rule victory over Presentation in game two.
Presentation found their way on the board in the top of the first inning. Cortni Mendoza led off the game with a single through the left side, advanced to second on a sac bunt, and came around to score on Amber Ewert's double down the left field line for an early 1-0 PC lead.
BU wasted no time erasing that deficit in the home half of the first. Kaitlyn Kinman reached on a one-out walk, one of 10 free passes issued by Ewert on the day, before Erin Sharpe went yard to give Bellevue a 2-1 lead. The home run was her league-leading 13th of the season.
Bellevue batted around in the second inning, sending 10 batters to the plate, where they scored five runs on three hits and five walks. Maddie Siedlik delivered a two-run single, Alex Tooley and Emily Gigax each punched through RBI-singles, and Kinman scored on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the fourth the Bruins struck for three more runs in the fourth for their third multi-run inning of the game. Sayde Woten and Sydney Robertson both recorded RBI-singles in the inning and Kaitlyn Goney contributed a sac fly to end the scoring.
Kelli Fisher (W, 13-3) went the distance in the circle for the Bruins, limiting the Saints to just one run on five hits. She struck out four and didn't issue a walk in five innings.
Ewert (L, 0-1) took the loss for the Saints. She was charged with allowing 10 runs – all earned – on eight hits in 4.0 innings of work.
