BU ends Florida trip with a pair of wins in THE Spring Games
The Bellevue University softball team wrapped up play at THE Spring Games on Friday afternoon with a pair of wins, downing Bethel (Ind.) in the opener, 10-1, before closing the tournament with a 2-0 shutout over Cornerstone.
Bethel Box Score
Cornerstone Box Score
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Bellevue University softball team wrapped up play at THE Spring Games on Friday afternoon with a pair of wins, downing Bethel (Ind.) in the opener, 10-1, before closing the tournament with a 2-0 shutout over Cornerstone.
Bellevue improved to 10-8 on the season with the sweep.
The Bruins will return home on Thursday, Mar. 17 when they will entertain Midland University at 5 p.m. at Roy Smith Field.
Bellevue 10, Bethel (Ind.) 1 (6 innings)
The Bruins pounded out 12 hits, while Savannah Gunn limited the Pilots to three singles as BU cruised to the 10-1 victory over Bethel in the opener.
A two-run single to center field by Allison O'Driscoll gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
The Pilots sliced the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the second on an RBI infield single by Hannah Frady.
BU responded in the top of the third, scoring on an RBI double to left field by Ashley Young to increase the advantage to 3-1.
Maricela Egan led off the top of the fourth with a solo homer to center field to extend the margin to 4-1.
The Bruins added a fifth run in the top of the fifth frame with an RBI single to right field by Reese Floro.
Bellevue erupted for five runs in the top of the sixth, sparked by an RBI single to center field by Liana McMurtry, a groundout RBI by Floro, and a run-scoring single to left field by Lauren Jurek, to push the BU lead to 10-1.
Gunn retired the side in the bottom of the sixth to secure the victory.
Gunn improved to 3-0 on the season, allowing just three hits with no walks and five strikeouts in six innings in the circle.
Bellevue 2, Cornerstone 0
The Bruins used the clutch hitting of Lauren Jurek and the solid pitching effort of Katie Cunningham to nab the 2-0 shutout over Cornerstone in the nightcap.
Bellevue grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a solo homer to left field by Jurek.
A bases-loaded walk to Alyssa Morbach increased the BU lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, chasing starter Kaitlin Johnson from the circle. Reliever Alyssa Braam induced a flyout to left field to keep it a two-run contest heading into the seventh frame.
Starter Katie Cunningham gave up a walk and a single to start the seventh inning but retired the next three batters to earn the complete-game shutout victory.
Jurek finished the game 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, and an RBI to pace the Bruin offense.
Cunningham (2-5) scattered six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings in the circle.
Johnson (2-3) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings.