OMAHA, Neb. -- The Bellevue University softball team recorded a doubleheader sweep over visiting Valley City State University Sunday afternoon at Roy Smith Field, taking the opener 6-1 before securing the nightcap, 6-4.
The Bruins improved to 16-14 on the season with the two wins and evened their NSAA record at 3-3. VCSU dropped to 15-14 overall and 4-2 in league play.
The two teams will complete the four-game series with a noon doubleheader tomorrow (April 7) at Roy Smith Field.
Savannah Short and Miranda Garcia each drove in a pair of runs, and BU outhit the Vikings, 9-5, in the 6-1 win in the opener.
The first three Bruin batters of the game recorded singles as BU grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, sparked by an RBI single to right field by Katie Cunningham.
The Vikings answered in the bottom of the first with a two-out solo homer to right field by Logan Gronberg, slicing the advantage to 2-1.
Short led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to center field to give BU a 3-1 edge. An RBI double down the left-field line by Laila Fiscus made it 4-1 later in the fourth frame.
A two-run single to right field by Garcia extended the margin to 6-1 in the top of the fifth.
Cunningham (8-6) picked up the win, giving up one run on five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Maddy Zander (9-7) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits with one walk and eight K's in five innings in the circle.
Bellevue used a six-run sixth inning to propel the Bruins to the 6-4 win in the nightcap.
VCSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Kylee Banerd scored on a BU fielding error.
A three-run double to left field by Cunningham highlighted a six-run sixth inning for the Bruins. BU also scored on an RBI single to right field by Garcia, a bases-loaded walk to Alexa Sidel, and an RBI single to left field by Kaitlyn Fisher, giving BU a 6-1 advantage.
The Vikings answered in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI triple to right field by Kennadi Stone and a two-run homer to left-center by Maddy Zander, slicing the BU lead to 6-4.
With runners on first and second and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Cunningham struck out Banerd and induced a groundout to record her fourth save of the season.
Ellie Zoucha (3-4) earned the victory, scattering four hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
Madison Hazelton was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs on four hits with seven walks and 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings in the circle.
