Bruins drop pair at Evangel Tournament

Evangel Box Score
Oklahoma City Box Score
2016 Schedule
2016 Statistics 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Bellevue University softball team concluded the Evangel University-Fayetteville Classic Saturday with a pair of losses, falling to host Evangel, 6-0 in opener, before dropping a 9-1 decision to undefeated and sixth-ranked Oklahoma City University in BU's final game of the tournament.

Bellevue fell to 0-5 on the season with the losses. Evangel improved to 3-3 overall and Oklahoma City notched its 17th-straight win, improving to 17-0 in 2016. 

BU gave up a grand slam in each contest and surrendered four homers on the day. 

The Bruins wil head to Clermont, Fla., March 5-11, for 12 games at the National Training Center Spring Games. 

Evangel 6, Bellevue 0

Evangel used a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning to propel the Crusaders to a 6-0 shutout in the Bruins' opening game of the day. 

Neither team scored until a sacrifice fly to left field by Katie Tollefson in the bottom of the third inning scored Michelle Sheppard, who led off the inning with a single to left field. 

A grand slam by Cassidy Gilliahan pushed the Crusader lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth frame. 

Kiara Carrier led off the sixth inning with a line-drive homer over the right field fence to increase the margin to 6-0. 

Kelli Fisher (0-3) suffered the loss, scattering four hits and five runs with three strikeouts in five innings of work in the circle. 

Erin Sharpe led the Bruins at the plate, going 2-for-3, but BU could not manage any extra-base hits in the contest. 

Michaela Tolliver picked up the complete-game shutout victory, allowing four hits with three strikeouts in seven innings. 

Oklahoma City 9, Bellevue 1

After holding OCU scoreless for the first two innings, the Stars' offense came alive scoring in each of the final four innings en route to the 9-1 win in six innings. 

The Bruins got on the board quickly following an RBI double down the left-field line by Alex Tooley, producing an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. 

OCU stormed back with a five-run third inning highlighted by a grand slam from Bailey Whitmore, giving the Stars a 5-1 advantage. 

A two-run homer to right field by Jaci Smith extended the OCU lead to 7-1 in the top of the fourth stanza. 

The Stars made it 8-1 in the top of the fifth with an RBI single to center field by Laci Joyner.

OCU scored on a Bruin fielding error in the top of the sixth to make the final, 9-1. 

Sharpe (0-2) took the loss, giving up 11 hits and seven earned runs, while striking out two in six innings of work.