Bruins fall to No. 4 OKCU, No. 6 Columbia

Oklahoma City Box Score
Columbia Box Score

ALLEN, Texas -- The Bellevue University softball team dropped a pair of games on Saturday to top-10 opponents at the Southern Collegiate Sports NAIA Invitational. BU fell to fourth-ranked Oklahoma City University, 7-3, in the opener before losing to No. 6-ranked Columbia College, 10-2, in the nightcap. 

The losses dropped the Bruins to 3-2 on the season.  

Bellevue returns to action on Feb. 18-19 when they travel to Aberdeen, S.D. to compete in the Presentation Dome Classic. 

Oklahoma City 7, Bellevue 3

After a scoreless first two innings for both teams, the Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single to right field by Maricela Egan that drove in Liana McMurtry from third. 

The Stars erupted for five runs in the fourth inning highlighted by a two-run double to left field by Brooklyn Mason and an RBI single to left field Kaitlyn Jones. 

OCU extended the lead to 7-1 in the top of the sixth, scoring on BU fielding error and on an RBI single to center field by Rally Radacy. 

The Bruins got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run homer to center field by Emily Rochford, making it 7-3. 

BU managed just one baserunner in the bottom of the seventh to secure the four-run victory. 

Katie Cunningham (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing 10 hits and four earned runs with one walk and four strikeouts in seven innings of work.  

Columbia 10, Bellevue 2 (6 innings)

Columbia pounded out 12 hits, including three home runs as the Cougars downed BU, 10-2, in six innings in the Bruins' final game of the tournament. 

CC got out of the gates quickly, scoring four runs in the top of the first on a two-run homer to left-center field by Mackenzie Kasarda and on a two-run double to center field by Athena Wheeler. 

The Bruins got one run back in the bottom of the third, scoring on an RBI double to right field by Egan that drove in Allison O'Driscoll, slicing the lead to 4-1. 

A solo homer to left field by Avgustina Arbova made it 5-1 in the top of the fourth frame. 

The Cougars extended the lead to 8-1 in the top of the fifth inning with a 3-run homer to left field by Jacey Meyer. 

Egan's RBI single to left field drove in McMurtry to make it 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

The Cougars put the game away with RBI singles from Abigail Pringer and Emily King in the top of the sixth, pushing the lead to 10-2. 

Lauren Jurek (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on four hits with one walk, all in the first inning. 

Ella Schouten (2-0) earned the win, scattering four hits with two runs, two walks, and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.