Bruins win three at Spring Games

HLGU Box Score
TCC Box Score
Judson Box Score

CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bellevue University softball team won three games on Tuesday at the PFX Spring Games to run its winning streak to four games. BU defeated Hannibal-LaGrange, 1-0, in the opener, followed by a 7-4 victory over Trinity Christian, before completing the day with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Judson. 

The Bruins improved to 10-7 overall with the three wins and are 5-4 in the Spring Games. 

Bellevue will resume action in the tournament on Thursday (March 7) when they take on William Woods at 12:30 p.m., Cleary at 2:45 p.m., and Trinity International at 5 p.m.

Bellevue 1, Hannibal-LaGrange 0

The Bruins scored on a timely HLGU fielding error for the game's only run as BU edged the Trojans, 1-0, in a pitcher's duel in the opening game of the day. 

Monique Ashley (4-4) struck out nine batters while recording her second complete-game shutout of the season. She allowed just five hits and two walks in the victory. 

Ashley got out of bases-loaded jams in both the fourth and six innings. 

Siciliy Johnston (0-3) suffered the loss, scattering five hits and no walks while striking out five. 

The Bruins scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth after Lauren Jurek led off the inning with a single to left field, was sacrificed to second base by Maricela Egan and came home following a fielding error by Trojan shortstop McKenzie Marshall on a grounder by Kelsey Arnold. 

Bellevue 7, Trinity Christian 4

Despite being outhit, 10-6, the Bruins used a huge seven-run first inning en route to the 7-4 victory over TCC in Tuesday's second game. 

The Bruins exploded for seven runs on six hits in the top of the first inning as BU batted through the lineup. The inning was highlighted by a three-run homer from Kayla Young and a two-run single by Egan.

The Trolls sliced the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a bases-load walk, a wild pitch by BU starter Brieanna Brock, and on an RBI single to right field by Dara Megyesi, forcing Brock to be replaced by Emily Rochford. TCC made it 7-4 later in the inning with an RBI line-drive single to right field by Ahliza Moore.

Emily Rochford (1-0) registered the victory, scattering four hits with no walks in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Ashley picked up her third save of the season, allowing just one hit while striking out three in the final 1 2/3 innings. 

Megyesi replaced starter Katie Price in the top of the first and allowed just one hit while striking out eight batters in the final 6 2/3 innings. 

Price (0-1) took the loss, giving up seven runs on five hits and two walks in the first inning of the contest.  

Bellevue 4, Judson 3

The Bruins completed the trifecta with a 4-3 victory over Judson in the nightcap. 

Grace Glotfelty scored off a single by Ellie Bliemeister and a fielding error by Eagle right fielder Annamarie Bucaro to give BU a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Bruins made it 2-0 on a ground out RBI by Arnold that scored Bliemeister. 

Bellevue expanded the lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth on a ground out RBI by Glotfelty. 

The Eagles battled back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs off of a pair of BU passed balls and on a fielding error by Kaitlyn Kinman.

The Bruins regained the lead at 4-3 on an RBI single by Egan in the top of the fifth frame.

Judson threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Haley Dobson and Sydney Harrison both reached base with walks. After Kate Peterburs sacrificed both runners over to second and third, the Bruins ended the game when Lauren Herlihy grounded out into a dramatic double play which saw Sharpe throw out Herlihy at first and Arnold threw down Hobson with a home-plate toss to catcher Randi Henry. 

In her first action of the season in the circle, Ashlyn Teran (1-0) picked up the complete-game victory, allowing just three hits with seven walks and four strikeouts in seven innings of work. 

The win over the Eagles avenged Monday's 6-5 loss in eight innings to JU.