Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
NSAA Standings
MADISON, S.D. -- After dropping the opener, 4-2, the Bellevue University softball team stormed back with an 11-1 victory in five innings in the nightcap, as BU split its second-straight North Star Athletic Association doubleheader Wednesday evening at the Thue Softball Complex.
With the split, the Bruins moved to 27-18 on the season and 13-7 in the NSAA. Dakota State is now 13-25 overall and 7-13 in league play.
The Bruins will travel to Aberdeen, S.D. on Friday-Saturday, April 23-24 for a four-game conference series at Presentation College. Both doubleheaders will start at 2 p.m.
Game 1: Dakota State 4, Bellevue 2
Xotchil and Xitali Lopez drove in all four runs as the Trojans earned the 4-2 victory in the opener.
Dakota State grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on Xotchil Lopez's three-run homer to left field.
BU answered in the top of the third, slicing the lead to 3-2, sparked by Ashley Young's sacrifice fly to center field and also scoring on a Trojan fielding error.
DSU pushed the margin to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth on Xitlali Lopez's RBI double to right field.
Xitali Lopez (8-10) allowed just one hit in the final two innings to earn the complete-game victory. Lopez scattered four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Cory Carillo (4-1) suffered her first loss of the season, giving up four runs on five hits, with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings.
Game 2: Bellevue 11, Dakota State 1 (5 innings)
Bellevue outhit the Trojans 10-4, including blasting six extra-base hits en route to the 11-1 victory in the nightcap. BU ended the contest in the fifth inning after run-ruling the Trojans.
Lauren Russell and Ellie Bliemeister both drove in three runs in the victory.
The Bruins scored two runs in the top of the first following a Trojan fielding error by shortstop Sarah Torres and on an RBI single to center field by Allison O'Driscoll.
O'Driscoll drove in another run in the top of the third with an RBI triple to center field and Russell's run-scoring double to left field made it 4-0.
The Bruins erupted for seven runs in the top of the fifth to expand the BU advantage to 11-0.
The fifth frame was sparked by a two-run triple to center field by Russell, a three-run triple to right field by Bliemeister, and a solo home run to right field by Maricela Egan.
The Trojans avoided the shutout in the bottom of the fifth with a bases-loaded groundout RBI by Xotchil Lopez, making the final 11-1.
Savannah Gunn improved to 9-6 on the season, allowing just four hits with three walks and no strikeouts in five innings in the circle.
