Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
MAYVILLE, N.D. -- The Bellevue University softball team clinched the 2022 North Star Athletic Association regular-season championship with a sweep over Mayville State University Thursday afternoon at Jerome Berg Field.
The Bruins won by scores of 7-3 and 3-2.
It marked Bellevue's second NSAA regular-season crown after also winning the title in 2017.
The Bruins, who have now won 14-straight games, improved to 38-11 on the season and 24-2 in the NSAA. MSU dropped to 12-23 overall and 9-11 in league play.
The two squads will complete the four-game series with a noon doubleheader on Friday (April 29) on Mayville State's campus.
Game 1: Bellevue 7, Mayville State 3
The Bruins used four extra-base hits including three home runs en route to the 7-3 victory in the opener.
After a scoreless first two innings, the Bruins took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third frame on a two-run double to left field by Reese Floro and a two-run homer to left field by Lauren Jurek.
BU extended the advantage to 5-0 in the top of the fourth on a solo homer to left field by Allison O'Driscoll.
A two-run blast over the center-field fence by Ashley Young pushed the BU lead to 7-0 in the top of the fifth inning.
Katie Cunningham had a no-hitter going until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Comets produced a pair of hits including a three-run homer to center field by Mackenzie Duval to pull MSU to within four runs at 7-3.
Cunningham (13-6) retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to secure her 13th victory of the season. She allowed just two hits with one walk and four strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Payton Doerksen fell to 2-10 on the season, giving up seven runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
Floro, Jurek, and Young each drove in a pair of runs in the victory while Liana McMurtry went 3-for-3 at the plate.
Game 2: Bellevue 3, Mayville State 2
Neither team scored until an RBI single to right field by Sami Reding gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning.
Liana McMurtry launched the first home run of her career, a solo shot over the right-field fence, to increase the lead to 2-0 in the top of the sixth frame.
The Comets answered in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game at 2-2 with a solo home run to center field by Nicole Fierro and an RBI double to left field by Jocelyn Ontiveros.
BU quickly responded with a solo homer to right field by Maricela Egan to help the Bruins regain the lead at 3-2 in the top of the seventh.
Emily Rochford earned the win after replacing Jurek in the bottom of the sixth. She gave up three hits while striking out one in one inning in the circle.
Cunningham picked up her third save of the season, replacing Rochford with one out in the bottom of the seventh after Rochford gave up a single. Cunningham induced a flyout and struck out Alyssa Avila to preserve the 3-2 victory.
