Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
NSAA Standings
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Bellevue University softball team captured the four-game conference series with Valley City State University after splitting a pair of games on Saturday at Roy Smith Field, winning the opener, 6-1, before dropping the nightcap, 2-1, in eight innings.
The Bruins, who won three of the four games in the series, moved to 12-13 on the season and 3-1 in the NSAA. VCSU is now 9-15 overall and 1-3 in league play.
Bellevue will travel to Peru, Neb., next Friday, Mar. 22, for a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Peru State College.
Game 1: Bellevue 6, Valley City State 1
The Bruins took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, sparked by Alexa Sidel's three-run homer to center field. BU also scored on a bases-loaded walk to Madison Machacek.
A two-run double down the left-field line by Myla Beckstrom increased the BU advantage to 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Vikings got on the board in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to left field by Sierra Crocker, slicing the advantage to 6-1.
Katie Cunningham earned the win, improving to 7-5 on the season. She allowed just five hits with one walk and five strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Maddy Zanders (6-6) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on three hits with five walks and two strikeouts in 1.2 innings in the circle.
Game 2: Valley City State 2, Bellevue 1 (8 innings)
The Bruins stranded 12 baserunners and gave up a key home run in the eighth inning as VCSU salvaged the split with the 2-1 victory in the nightcap.
After stranding six baserunners in the first two innings, the Bruins got on the board in the bottom of the third, scoring on a groundout RBI by Machacek that plated Atiana Rodriguez, who led off the inning with a triple to left field.
The Vikings tied the game in the top of the sixth frame on an RBI single to left field by Makenzee Stone that scored Amanda Hiner from second, making it 1-1.
VCSU took its first lead of the series with a solo homer to left field by Sierra Crocker in the top of the eighth, giving the Vikings a 2-1 advantage.
Joelle Lamontagne allowed one hit in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the victory for VCSU. Lamontagne improved to 2-4 on the season after allowing one run on seven hits with seven walks and eight strikeouts in eight innings of work.
Cory Carrillo (0-3) suffered the loss, giving up two runs on four hits with one strikeout in the final three innings of the contest.
