Bellevue earns split at No. 17 Ottawa
The Bellevue University softball team earned a doubleheader split Monday afternoon at 17th-ranked Ottawa (Kan.) University, dropping the opener, 3-2, before capturing the nightcap, 5-3.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
OTTAWA, Kan. -- The Bellevue University softball team earned a doubleheader split Monday afternoon at 17th-ranked Ottawa (Kan.) University, dropping the opener, 3-2, before capturing the nightcap, 5-3.
The split moves the Bruins to 1-2 on the season.
The loss in the second game was the first of the season for Ottawa, as the Braves are now 7-1 overall.
The Bruins will head to Kansas City this Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 17-18, to compete in the Kansas City NAIA Softball Invite. BU will take on Park and MidAmerica Nazarene on Saturday before concluding the tournament with matchups against Avila and Missouri Valley on Sunday.
Game 1: Ottawa 3, Bellevue 2
The Bruins stranded six baserunners, and Ottawa got key hits from the top of the lineup as OU edged the Bruins, 3-2, in the opener.
The Braves grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-out RBI double to left field by Kara Hafenstin, scoring Katie Enneking from first.
Ottawa scored a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth frame on a groundout RBI by Enneking and on a sacrifice fly to left field by Hafenstin, increasing the advantage to 3-0.
The Bruins made it interesting, scoring two runs with two outs in the top of the seventh on an RBI single to center field by Atiana Rodriguez and on an RBI triple to right field by Laila Fiscus. OU secured the win when Brave reliever Loralei Gilbert induced a groundout to third base.
Savannah Gunn (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up three runs with no walks and four strikeouts in six innings of work.
Brave starter Ashlynn Mercer improved to 4-0 on the season, scattering three hits with three walks and three K's in six innings in the circle.
Game 2: Bellevue 5, Ottawa 3
Back-to-back two-out doubles by Rodriguez and Fiscus, followed by an RBI single to left field by Katie Cunningham, and a two-run homer to right field by freshman Breanne McMurtry, gave the Bruins a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning.
Rodriguez launched a solo homer to center field to increase the BU advantage to 5-0 in the top of the fifth frame.
The Braves sliced the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to right field by Addison Spencer and on two consecutive bases-loaded walks suffered by Bruin reliever Katie Cunningham. With just one out and the bases loaded, Cory Carrillo replaced Cunningham and got BU out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the score at 5-3 heading into the sixth inning.
Carrillo struck out eight of the final nine batters and did not allow a hit over the final 2.2 innings to earn the save.
Freshman Abby Dworak (1-0) earned the win, allowing just two hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four innings of work.
Rodriguez finished 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and an RBI. Breanne McMurtry was 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.