Bellevue earns sweep at Benedictine, 4-2, 10-4
BU overcomes early deficits in both games; Bridgeford drives in six runs in twinbill ...
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
ATCHISON, Kan. -- The Bellevue University softball team overcame early deficits in both games before pulling out a doubleheader sweep at Benedictine College, winning by scores of 4-2 and 10-4, Saturday afternoon at BC Softball Field.
The Bruins snapped their three-game losing streak, while improving to 10-6 on the season with the two wins. Benedictine fell to 7-9 overall.
Kelsie Bridgeford drove in six runs on the day, while blasting her team-leading fourth home run of the season.
Bellevue will host Midland University on Wed., March 20, in a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader at Hall of Fame Fields.
Game 1: Bellevue 4, Benedictine 2
The Bruins overcame an early 2-0 deficit and got RBIs from four different players to record the 4-2 win in the opener. Shelby Kindelin (3-2) earned the win, scattering four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in six innings of work.
The Ravens got off to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on RBI doubles by Megan Eldridge and Allison McCormick.
Bellevue tied the game in the fourth inning after Kim Wees and Amanda Neumann reached base on Raven fielding errors and were driven home on a ground-out RBI by Bridgeford and an RBI double by Katie Malloy. Malloy was then driven in by an RBI single from Katie Tew, giving BU its first lead at 3-2.
An RBI single up the middle by Augusta Ratliff scored Kindelin to give the Bruins a 4-2 advantage in the top of the sixth frame.
Taylor Mohler entered the game in the bottom of the seventh, registering her second save of the season, retiring the side to secure the win.
Game 2: Bellevue 10, Benedictine 4
Bridgeford drove in five runs and Neumann earned her third victory of the season, as the Bruins once again overcame an early deficit, while registering a 10-4 win in the nightcap.
Bridgeford finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs, a home run, and two runs scored. Malloy went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Benedictine raced out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs on four hits and one BU error.
The Bruins responded in the top of the third, cutting the lead in half with a sacrifice fly by Wees and an RBI single from Bridgeford, to make it 4-2.
After an RBI double by Neumann cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth, Bridgeford blasted a two-run homer to give BU its first lead of the contest at 5-4.
Bellevue pulled away in the top of the sixth, scoring five runs on five hits, highlighted by a two-run double by Malloy and RBI singles by Wees and Bridgeford, giving the Bruins a 10-4 margin.
Neumann improved to 3-1 on the season, allowing five hits and one walk, while striking out six batters in seven innings of work.