KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The Bellevue University softball team completed play in the Kansas City Softball Invite with a pair of wins on Monday, downing Park University, 4-2, in the opener, before knocking off MidAmerica Nazarene University, 8-6, in nine innings in the nightcap.
The two wins helped Bellevue improve to 4-3 on the season.
The Bruins will travel back to the state of Kansas this weekend with noon doubleheaders on Saturday (Feb. 24) at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., and on Sunday (Feb. 25) at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan.
Bellevue 4, Park 2
The Bruins used a three-run seventh inning to register the 4-2 come-from-behind victory in the opener. It marked Park's first loss of the season, as the Pirates fell to 3-1 overall.
Neither team scored until Park plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring on a BU fielding error and off a sacrifice fly to center field by Dani-Quinn Klein that scored Shelby Sanders from third.
Bellevue answered in the top of the fifth as junior Alexa Sidel led off the inning with a solo homer to left field to slice the lead to 2-1. It marked the first home run for Sidel in her BU career. After the Pirates replaced starter Dakota Rau with Lauren Fiene, the Bruins loaded the bases later in the fifth inning on a hit batsman and two walks. Fiene got out of the jam with a strikeout, keeping the score at 2-1.
The Bruins loaded the bases with just one out in the top of the seventh frame following a single by Savannah Gunn and a pair of Park fielding errors. BU tied the game at 2-2 on an RBI single to left field by Katie Cunningham. Liana McMurtry gave BU its first lead of the contest at 3-2 with an RBI single to center field that scored her sister Breanne McMurtry from third. The Bruins tacked on an insurance run when a bases-loaded walk to Lexi Blankenfeld gave BU a 4-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Cory Carrillo replaced starter Cunningham in the bottom of the seventh. She ended the game with two straight strikeouts to record her third save of the season.
Cunningham (2-1) earned the win, scattering three hits and two walks in six innings in the circle.
Fiene (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs on three hits with four walks and one strikeout in 2.1 innings of work.
Bellevue 8 MNU 6 (9 innings)
Despite being outhit, 14-9, the Bruins took advantage of four MNU fielding errors and got some clutch hitting at key moments to record the 8-6 win over MNU in nine innings. Breanne McMurtry hit a walk-off two-run homer to end the game in the bottom of the ninth frame.
The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, sparked by an RBI double to center field by Liana McMurtry and a run-scoring single to center field by Sidel. BU also scored following a fielding error by MNU right fielder Nyah Brown following a single by Cunningham.
The Pioneers answered in the top of the second with a two-run single to right field by Cordelia Hanger, slicing the lead to 3-2.
A sacrifice fly to left field by Laila Fiscus scored Blankenfeld, increasing the BU advantage to 4-2 in the bottom of the second. BU made it 5-2 following a fielding error by first baseman Abby Schulte that allowed Atiana Rodriguez to score.
MNU battled back in the top of the fifth, scoring on an RBI triple to right field by Schulte and on an RBI single to center field by Robin Todd, reducing the deficit to 5-4. chasing starter Savannah Gunn, who was replaced by Carrillo with one out in the inning.
Hanger scored from third on a wild pitch, tying the game at 5-5 in the top of the sixth inning.
Cunningham entered the game in the top of the eighth inning where the international tiebreaker was utilized.
MNU garnered a 6-5 lead in the top of the ninth on a bases-loaded fielder's choice that allowed Schulte to score from third.
The Bruins tied the game on an RBI single to left field by Laila Fiscus and ended the game on Breanne McMurtry's walk-off two-run homer to center field.
Cunningham (3-1) earned her second victory of the day, giving up two hits with one walk and two strikeouts in the final two innings of the contest.
