LINCOLN, Neb. -- Miranda Garcia blasted a pair of home runs, but it wasn't enough as the Bellevue University softball team suffered an 8-2 loss to NCAA Division III Nebraska Wesleyan University Wednesday evening at the Sandhills Global Youth Complex.
The loss dropped the Bruins to 11-11 on the season. NWU improved to 16-5 overall. The Prairie Wolves outhit the Bruins, 15-7, in the loss.
Garcia's home runs were her second and third of the season.
NWU took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to right field by Lyndsey Roth.
A sacrifice fly to center field by Paige Davison scored Kenzie Heedum from third, increasing the advantage to 2-0 in the bottom of the second.
The Bruins sliced the advantage to 2-1 in the top of the third on Garcia's solo home run to left field.
The Prairie Wolves erupted for four runs in the bottom of the third, sparked by a three-run double to right-center field by Hanna Roth and an RBI single to center field by Eva Fahrnbruch, extending the edge to 6-1.
Garcia launched her second round-tripper of the game in the top of the fifth, a solo shot to center field, to make it 6-2.
Hannah Roth drove in her fourth run of the game in the bottom of the fifth with her fourth hit of the contest, an RBI single to right field, extending the margin to 7-2.
Jenna Kimberling made it 8-2 in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Katie Cunningham (7-4) suffered the loss, giving up six runs on 10 hits with one walk and three strikeouts in three innings of work.
The Bruins will open conference play tomorrow (Mar. 27) with a 4 p.m. doubleheader against Dickinson State University at Roy Smith Field in Omaha.
