BU falls to Graceland, No. 2 USAO at McPherson Tournament

Graceland Box Score
USAO Box Score

McPHERSON, Kan. -- The Bellevue University softball team dropped a pair of games Thursday at the McPherson Softball Tournament, falling to Graceland, 4-3, in the opener, before dropping the nightcap to No. 2 ranked Science & Arts (Okla.), 3-1. 

The losses drop the Bruins to 10-10 on the season. 

The remainder of the tournament has been canceled due to poor weather conditions.

Graceland 4, Bellevue 3

Graceland scored three fourth-inning runs to register the come-from-behind victory over the Bruins in the opener. BU suffered from three fielding errors in the loss. 

Emily Rochford led the Bruins at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, and an RBI.  

The Bruins took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second after Rochford scored on a passed ball and on Maricela Egan's ground-out RBI that plated Allison O'Driscoll from third.  

Riley Sicord's RBI single to left field sliced the BU lead in half in the bottom of the third inning. 

Rochford drilled a line-drive solo home run to left field to give BU a 3-1 advantage in the top of the fourth frame. 

The Yellow Jackets took the lead at 4-3, following two-consecutive BU fielding errors and a two-run single to right field by Mattison Springs.  

Sydney Kramer allowed just one hit in each of the last three innings to secure the 4-3 win for GU. 

Lauren Jurek (3-2) suffered the loss, giving up four unearned runs, with six hits, two walks, and four strikeouts in six innings of work. 

Kramer (3-0) earned the win, scattering five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven innings in the circle. 

No. 2 USAO 3, Bellevue 1

The Drovers scored a pair of runs late in the sixth inning to pull out the 3-1 victory over BU in the nightcap. 

Rochford, was again, led BU offensively, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. Ellie Bliemeister also went 2-for-3 in the loss with a double.  

Neither team scored until Randa Hatter's solo homer to center field gave the Drovers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. 

The Bruins tied the game at 1-1 on Rochford's RBI double to right field that scored Mya Montero in the top of the fourth inning. 

A bases-loaded two-run single to left field by Savannah Ashford gave USAO a 3-1 advantage in the bottom of the sixth frame. 

Bellevue threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs. Emily Cerny ended the threat, inducing a ground out and two strikeouts to preserve the two-run victory for USAO. 

Cerny improved to 13-2 on the season. She did not allow a hit while strikeout out four in two innings of work. 

Cory Carrillo (5-2) was tagged with the loss, giving up three runs on seven his with one walk and three strikeouts in six innings of work.