Bruins split at College of St. Mary

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Bellevue University softball team split with College of Saint Mary in a Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. CSM won the opener 1-0 before the Bruins pounded out 15 hits to claim a 10-0 victory in the nightcap.

Bellevue moved to 30-9-1 overall and 13-1 in the MCAC while CSM is 16-12 on the season and 8-4 in league play. 

The loss in the opener snapped the Bruins' 14-game winning streak and marked BU's first conference loss on the year. The two teams will meet again in Bellevue this Sunday (April 19) in a noon doubleheader . 

The Bruins, with a 29-3-1 record in their last 33 games, will waste no time before returning to action tomorrow for a 4:00 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Hastings College.

Game One: CSM 1, Bellevue 0

Leah Kipfer and Kellie Fisher each tossed six-hitters but it was Kipfer and the College of Saint Mary that handed Bellevue their first MCAC loss of the season, 1-0, on the strength of a second inning home run by Mara Eeman.

Eeman got to Fisher with one out in the second, driving her fourth home run of the season over the wall in right center for the game's first run, giving the Flames an early 1-0 lead.

After a shaky first two innings in which she allowed five hits, Fisher settled down and limited CSM to just one hit the rest of the way. Despite holding the Flames to just one run, Fisher, taking a tough luck loss, falls to 13-3 on the season.

Bellevue threatened with their best opportunity coming in the top of the fifth. Michaela Miller singled to center and took second on an error before advancing to third on a Kaitlyn Goney groundout. On the ensuing at-bat a pitch from Kipfer got away from the catcher and Miller tried to capitalize but was thrown out trying to advance.

Bellevue mounted one final threat in the seventh. Courtney Schendt reached on a one-out single to left before being lifted for pinch-runner Sarah Zeleny. Emily Gigax followed with her second base hit of the game to advance Zeleny to second. The threat ended abruptly when Miller lined out to left and Zeleny was nabbed before she was able to retreat to second base.

The game marks the first time that Bellevue has been shut out since battling to a scoreless tie with St. Xavier in six innings (as a result of a light curfew) on March 6. It's the first time the Bruins have been shut out in a seven-inning game since falling to Bethel (Ind.) 3-0 on March 3.

Kipfer (10-4) struck out eight and only walked one in the ballgame to reach double figures in victories on the season.

Game Two: Bellevue 10, CSM 0 (6 innings)

Bellevue belted 15 hits and Taylor Mohler tossed a one-hitter as the Bruins bounced back for the 10-0 shutout in six innings in the nightcap. Nine Bruins registered a hit in the win.

After Shelby Kindelin led off the game with a double to left field, Ashley Gigax blasted a home run over the center field fence to give the Bruins an early 2-0 lead.

Bellevue made it 4-0 in the third after an RBI single by Alex Tooley drove in Sydney Robertson and a run-scoring double by Schendt brought home Tooley.

After Emily Maguire walked three of the first four batters in the top of the fourth inning to load the bases, the Flames got out of the jam by striking out Tooley and Sayde Woten to end the threat.     

Consecutive doubles by Schendt and Emily Gigax and a two-run homer by Miller increased the BU advantage to 7-0 in the top of the fifth frame. 

Madison Towsend spoiled Mohler's no-hitter with a single to center field in the bottom of the fifth. 

An RBI single by Kendall Hendrix and a two-run single by Kindelin pushed the BU margin to 10-0 in the top of the sixth. 

Mohler retired the side in the bottom of the sixth to secure the 10-0 victory. She improved to 16-5 on the season, allowing just one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts in six innings of work.