ATCHISON, Kan. -- Benedictine College earned a doubleheader sweep over the Bellevue University softball team Saturday afternoon, winning the opener 8-2 before battling back for a 7-6 victory in the nightcap. 

The Bruins fell to 4-5 on the season with the two losses. Benedictine improved to 8-2 overall.  

Bellevue will travel to Leavenworth, Kan., tomorrow (Feb. 25) for a noon doubleheader at the University of Saint Mary.  

Game 1: Benedictine 8, Bellevue 2

The Bruins grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly to left field by Laila Fiscus that scored Madison Machacek from third. 

Benedictine responded in the bottom of the third frame, scoring three runs on a two-run double to left field by Chloe Strickland and on a safety squeeze bunt by Natalie Sheffield that scored Strickland from third.  

An RBI single up the middle by Abby Pressgrove and an RBI double to right field by Baylee Knorr increased the Raven advantage to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth. 

The Ravens made it 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth on a groundout RBI by Clare Heitz that plated Sheffield from third. 

Back-to-back doubles by Breanne McMurtry and Katie Cunningham sliced the lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth. 

BC made it 8-2 in the bottom half of the sixth, scoring on an RBI single to right-center field by Knorr and on a Bruin fielding error. 

Cunningham was tagged with the loss, falling to 3-2 on the season after giving up three runs on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts in three innings of work. 

Bailey Selvage improved to 4-0 in the complete-game victory, scattering five hits with no walks and 14 strikeouts in seven innings in the circle. 

Game 2: Benedictine 7, Bellevue 6

The Ravens battled back from a 6-3 deficit, scoring four unanswered runs in the final two innings to earn the 7-6 victory. The two teams combined for 22 hits in the contest, with BC outhitting the Bruins 12-10. BU was plagued by three fielding errors in the loss. 

The Bruins grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first frame on an RBI double to center field by Breanne McMurtry and a run-scoring single to left field by Savannah Gunn. 

Benedictine quickly answered in the bottom of the first with an RBI double to left-center field by Knorr that sliced the lead to 2-1. 

The Ravens moved out in front, 3-2, in the bottom of the second on a two-run triple to center field by Kassidy James. 

Bellevue regained the lead at 6-3 in the top of the fifth inning, scoring four runs on RBI singles to the outfield by Fiscus, Cunningham, Savannah Gunn., and Alexa Sidel. The Bruins belted six hits in the inning. 

The Bruins got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth when Heitz lined into a double play. 

After a BU fielding error allowed a run in the bottom of the sixth, the Ravens tied the game at 6-6 on an RBI single to center field by Pressgrove and a run-scoring double to center field by Knorr. 

Heitz scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh when she advanced home following a throwing error by BU pitcher Cory Carrillo. 

Carrillo (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing one hit and two walks in 0.2 innings of relief work. 

Kera Willoughby earned the win, scattering three hits with no walks and three strikeouts in the final 2.2 innings of the contest.