BU wins two to open series with Blue Hawks
The Bellevue University softball team ran its winning streak to four games with a doubleheader sweep at Dickinson State University Sunday afternoon at the North Softball Complex. The Bruins won by scores of 11-5 and 7-4.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
DICKINSON, N.D. -- The Bellevue University softball team ran its winning streak to four games with a doubleheader sweep at Dickinson State University Sunday afternoon at the North Softball Complex. The Bruins won by scores of 11-5 and 7-4.
With the two victories, Bellevue improved to 29-15 on the season and 12-4 in the NSAA. DSU dropped to 16-19 overall and 6-10 in league play.
The two teams will complete the four-game series with a noon doubleheader (central time) on Monday at the North Softball Complex.
Game 1: Bellevue 11, Dickinson State 5
Led by sisters Ashley and Kayla Young, the Bruins pounded out 16 hits as BU cruised to the 11-5 win in the opener.
A. Young went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, and three RBIs. K. Young drove in three runs, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Ashlyn Teran finished 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
The Bruins raced out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI double by Kaitlyn Kinman, a run-scoring single by Teran, and on a two-run single by Kayla Young.
Ashley Young's two-run double to center field extended the BU lead to 6-0 in the top of the fourth inning.
The Blue Hawks responded in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer to left field by Whitney Mesi to cut the BU lead to 6-2.
A sacrifice fly to right field by Kayla Young and a line-drive RBI single to right field by Grace Glotfelty pushed the Bruin advantage to 8-2 in the top of the fifth frame.
Back-to-back homers by Jaya Allen and Mesi drew the Blue Hawks to within three runs at 8-5 in the bottom of the fifth.
Ashley Young launched a solo homer to center field to give BU a 9-5 edge in the top of the sixth inning.
Ellie Bliemeister and Erin Sharpe drove in insurance runs in the top of the seventh to give the Bruins an 11-5 cushion.
Sharpe (6-4) earned the win in the circle, giving up five hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings of work. Monique Ashley picked up her team-leading fifth save of the season, allowing just one hit while striking out six batters in the final 2 1/3 innings.
Game 2: Bellevue 7, Dickinson State 4
Bellevue used three home runs, a pair of doubles and the solid pitching efforts of Brieanna Brock and Ashley to record the 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
The Bruins took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Bliemeister and Sharpe led off the game with back-to-back doubles. Teran drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Brock from third.
The Blue Hawks got a run back in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to center field by Allen.
A two-run homer to left field by Jordan Menke gave DSU its first lead of the day at 3-2 in the bottom of the second inning.
BU responded with Glotfelty's two-run blast over the center-field fence in the top of the fourth, giving BU a 4-3 edge.
The Blue Hawks tied the game at 4-4 on Claire Shoffit's RBI infield single in the bottom of the fifth frame.
Teran belted her first home run of the season, a solo shot to right field to help BU regain the lead at 5-4 in the top of the sixth. Sharpe laced her team-leading 18th home run of the season, a two-run blast to center field to increase the Bruin advantage to 7-4 in the top of the seventh.
Ashley, who replaced Brock in the fifth inning, earned her ninth win of the season as she did not allow a hit while striking out three in the final 2 1/3 innings of the contest.
Sharpe finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. Teran and Glotfelty both drove in a pair of runs in the victory.