Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
OMAHA, Neb. -- In a battle of the top two teams in the league, the Bellevue University softball team cruised to a doubleheader sweep over Valley City State University, winning 7-2 in the opener before taking down the Vikings, 14-2 (in five innings) in the nightcap.
With the two wins, BU improved to 20-9 on the season and 6-0 in the NSAA. VCSU dropped to 17-12 overall and 4-2 in league play.
The Bruins pounded out 26 hits on the day.
The two teams will complete the four-game series with a noon doubleheader on Sunday (April 3) at Roy Smith Field.
Game 1: Bellevue 7, Valley City State 2
The Bruins raced out to a 7-0 lead and outhit the Vikings 13-7 en route to the 7-2 victory in the opener.
Lauren Jurek continued her hot-hitting, going 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Sami Reding finished 2-for-3 with two doubles. Emily Rochford was 2-for-3 with a home run.
BU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Maricela Egan's RBI single to left field.
The Bruins increased the advantage to 5-0 in the bottom of the second, sparked by Rochford's solo homer to left field and Reese Floro's RBI single to right field. BU also scored a pair of runs on a Viking fielding error.
Allison O'Driscoll's two-run single to left field made it 7-0 in the bottom of the fourth.
The Vikings sliced the margin to 7-2 in the top of the fifth on RBI singles by Ashlynne Copinga and Joelle Aiello.
Katie Cunningham allowed just two hits in the final two innings to secure the complete-game victory.
Cunningham improved to 6-6 on the season, scattering seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Joelle Lamontagne (9-5) suffered the loss, giving up seven runs on 13 hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six innings in the circle.
Game 2: Bellevue 14, Valley City State 2 (5 innings)
Ashley Young drove in four runs to lead the BU offense in the nightcap. Young finished 2-for-3 with a double. Floro went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.
The Bruins gained an early 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the first, scoring on a two-run single to left field by Young and on a bases-loaded walk to Rochford.
BU exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the second highlighted by a two-run double to center field by Young, a sacrifice fly to left field by Rochford, an RBI single to center field by Savannah Gunn, an RBI double to left field by Reding, a two-run double to left field by Floro, and a run-scoring single to center field by Liana McMurtry, expanding the lead to 12-0.
The Vikings got one run back in the top of the third, scoring on an RBI single to right field by Marissa Hawkins, to make it 12-1.
Egan scored from third on a wild pitch to push the advantage to 13-1 in the bottom half of the third frame.
Mya Montero's RBI single to right field increased the lead to 14-1 in the bottom of the fourth.
Hawkins' sacrifice fly to right field made it 14-2 in the top of the fifth before Savannah Gunn induced a flyout to secure the 12-run victory.
Gunn improved to 6-0 on the season, allowing two runs on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts in five innings of work.
