Box Score
NAIA Opening Round Schedule/Results
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa -- The fifth-seeded Bellevue University softball team shut out third-seeded Grand View University, 2-0, Tuesday afternoon in an elimination game at the NAIA Opening Round - NWC Bracket being played at Open Space Park.
The Bruins (34-21) will now face a rematch with St. Xavier University at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. On Monday, SXU defeated Bellevue, 4-3, in the tournament's opening game. Grand View ended its season with a 33-19 record.
Madison Machacek went 2-for-3 with a double and came up with the game-winning double-play to end the contest. Savannah Gunn and Myla Beckstrom drove in BU's two runs in the victory.
The Bruins loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, but Jessica Walljasper got out of the jam with a strikeout and flyout to end the threat.
A bases-loaded walk to Beckstrom gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. BU stranded seven baserunners in the first three frames.
The Bruins came up empty in the top of the fifth after loading the bases as Walljasper struck out Leslie Egan to keep the score at 1-0.
After Gunn gave up a single to Chloe Kottlowski in the bottom of the fifth and was moved to second by a sacrifice bunt from Allyx Lee, Cunningham entered the circle. She ended the threat with a strikeout and a pop-up to keep it a one-run ball game.
After giving up a single and a walk in the bottom of the sixth, Cunningham got out of the jam by striking out two straight Vikings.
Gunn belted a clutch RBI single down the left-field line that scored Lexi Blankenfeld from third, giving BU an insurance run and a 2-0 advantage in the top of the seventh inning, chasing Walljasper, who was replaced by Lani Gannon.
After two straight one-out BU fielding errors in the bottom of the seventh, the Vikings loaded the bases following a single by Kylie Merical. The Bruins ended the game on a double play after Rachel Anderson lined out to third baseman Machacek who stepped on the third-base bag to retire Lee and earn the dramatic victory for the Bruins.
Gunn (12-6) was credited with the victory, scattering four hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work. Cunningham earned her first save of the season, giving up just two hits while striking out three in the final 2.2 innings in the circle.
Walljasper (17-9) was tagged with the loss, allowing two runs on six hits, with seven walks and seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
