Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
NSAA Standings
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Bellevue University softball team opened up North Star Athletic Association action on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep over Valley City State University at Roy Smith Field.
The Bruin pitching duo of Katie Cunningham and Savannah Gunn gave up just two runs on the day as BU won by scores of 5-1 and 7-1 to improve to 11-12 on the season and 2-0 in NSAA play. VCSU dropped to 8-14 overall and 0-2 in conference action.
The two teams will complete the four-game series with a noon doubleheader tomorrow (Mar. 16) at Roy Smith Field.
Game 1: Bellevue 5, Valley City State 1
Bellevue used a three-run fourth inning and the solid pitching effort of Cunningham en route to the 5-1 win over the Vikings in the opener.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with a groundout RBI by Savannah Gunn that scored Atiana Rodriguez from third.
A solo homer to center field by Alexa Sidel pushed the margin to 2-0 in the bottom of the third frame.
A two-run single to center field by Myla Beckstrom and an RBI single to left field by Keely Geise made it 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth.
The Vikings got on the board in the top of the fifth with a bloop single RBI to right field by Kennadi Stone, cutting the deficit to 5-1.
Cunningham improved to 6-5 on the season, allowing one run on six hits, with no walks and nine strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Logan Gronberg (1-4) suffered the loss, giving up all five runs while scattering four hits with three walks and five strikeouts in four innings.
Game 2: Bellevue 7, Valley City State 1
Madison Machacek drove in four runs to lead the BU offense to the 7-1 victory in the nightcap. Machacek finished 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and four RBIs.
An RBI single to right field by Laila Fiscus gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second frame.
BU made it 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth on Machacek's two-run blast over the left field fence.
Ashylyn Diemert drove in a run in the top of the sixth with a fielder's choice RBI that scored Maddy Zander from third, slicing the lead to 3-1.
The Bruins answered in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run double to center field by Liana McMurtry and a two-run single to center field by Machacek, making it 7-1.
Gunn (3-3) earned the victory, scattering five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in seven innings in the circle.
Joelle Lamontagne was tagged with the loss, giving up three runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in five innings of work.
