Sayde Woten had three hits on the day and drove in both runs in the opener against Mayville State.

April 12, 2018

Bruin softball splits in NSAA action

Game 1: Mayville State 3, Bellevue 2 (8 innings) Game 2: Bellevue 6, Dickinson State 2

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University softball team split a pair of North Star Athletic Association contests on Thursday at the Lied Activity Center, dropping the opener to Mayville State, 3-2, in eight innings before rebounding for a 6-2 victory over Dickinson State in the nightcap.

Bellevue is now 25-18 on the season.

The Bruins will host the same two teams on Friday. BU will battle Dickinson State at 11 a.m. and Mayville State at 3 p.m.

Mayville State 3, Bellevue 2 (8 innings)

A walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning by pitcher Shaye Kemball gave the Comets the 2-1 victory in the opening game of the day.

Sayde Woten led BU offensively, driving in both of BU's runs, going 2-for-2 at the plate with a home run.

AJ Tinoco drove in the game's first run with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the first inning. The Bruins tied it up at 1-1 with Woten's RBI single up the middle in the top of the second that scored Maddie Siedlik from third.

With two outs and an 0-2 count, Woten crushed a homer over the left-field fence to give BU its first lead of the game at 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning.

Megan Rabe's RBI double to center field tied the contest at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth frame. Neither team threatened until Kemball's game-winning double in the bottom of the eighth drove in Kiana Ishikawa from second base.

Kemball (6-10) earned the win, scattering five hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in eight innings of work.

Lexi LeCalsey (10-7) suffered the loss, allowing three hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings in the circle.

Bellevue 6, Dickinson State 2

Erin Sharpe went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, a double and a home run, while also getting the win in the circle as the Bruins cruised to the 6-2 win in the nightcap.

The Bruins got on the board quickly with a two-run homer to left field by Sharpe in the top of the first. It was her nation-leading 15th home run of the season.

BU increased the lead to 4-0 in the top of the third on an RBI single to left field by Kaitlyn Kinman and an RBI double to left field by Kayla Young.

The Blue Hawks cut the deficit to 4-1 in the bottom of the third, scoring on a throwing error by Kinman that allowed Sarah Dobitz to plate a run.

A two-run double to left field by Sharpe pushed the BU advantage to 6-1 in the top of the fourth inning.

DSU scored another unearned run in the bottom of the sixth on a throwing error by right fielder Siedlik, to slice the lead to 6-2.

Sharpe struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the victory, her 12th of the season.

Sharpe (12-3) allowed five hits with no walks, no earned runs, and a season-high 13 strikeouts in seven innings of work.

Jalen Creech (7-6) was tagged with the loss, giving up six runs and six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.