DICKINSON, N.D. -- After fighting back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the contest, the Bellevue University softball team fell to Dickinson State University, 4-3 in the North Star Athletic Association Championship game Monday afternoon at Bravera Field.
The Bruins, the NSAA regular-season champions, are now 32-20 on the season and will await word of their post-season fate when qualifiers and pairings for the NAIA National Championship Opening Round are announced on Tuesday, May 7 at 4 p.m.
DSU (24-22) earned the league's automatic berth into the NAIA National Championship, which will begin play at NAIA Opening Round sites on May 13-16.
For the second time in the tournament, DSU pitcher Dallis Mitchell stymied the Bruin bats, allowing just five singles on the day with nine strikeouts to lead the Blue Hawks to the conference title. Bellevue stranded 10 baserunners in the loss.
The Blue Hawks grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second frame on an RBI single to left field by Cassidy Venner. Venner scored on the same play as BU left fielder Myla Beckstrom misplayed the ball, making it 3-0.
After going hitless in the first three innings, the Bruins manufactured four singles in the top of the fourth frame, including an RBI infield single by Alexa Sidel and a two-run infield single by Atiana Rodriguez, tying the contest at 3-3. Three of the four hits in the inning were infield singles.
DSU quickly responded in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a fielder's choice RBI by Kara Conway that scored Hope Fath from third, making it 4-3.
The Bruins loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth, but Mitchell induced a flyout to get out of the jam.
Bellevue threatened again in the top of the sixth with runners on first and second and one out, but Mitchell registered a force out and a strikeout to keep it a one-run ball game.
Mitchell retired the side in the top of the seventh to preserve the 4-3 victory for the Blue Hawks.
Savannah Gunn (11-6), who replaced starter Katie Cunningham in the second inning, was tagged with the loss, giving up one run on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.
Mitchell improved to 14-5 on the season, scattering five hits with four walks and nine K's in seven complete innings of work.
