Bruins split on final day at NAIA Softball Invite
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
SHAWNEE, Okla. -- The Bellevue University softball team split a pair of games on Sunday in the final day of action at the NAIA Softball Invitational, falling 3-1 to Missouri Baptist in the opener, before concluding the tournament with a 4-2 victory over Baker.
The split moved Bellevue to 8-4 on the season.
The Bruins will head to Tucson, Ariz., for the Tucson Invitational Games, being played March 2-7 at Lincoln Park.
Missouri Baptist 3, Bellevue 1
Bellevue managed just five hits, and Taylor Whitehead struck out eight Bruins, as MBU recorded a 3-1 win in the opener.
The Spartans grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning on a two-run single to right field by Alexi Sanchez.
MBU extended the advantage to 3-0 in the top of the sixth with an RBI double to left field by Natalie Archer.
The Bruins responded in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on an RBI double to right field by Breanne McMurtry, driving in Mariah Unverzagt from second, reducing the deficit to 3-1.
Ellie Zoucha (2-2) was tagged with the loss, giving up two runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in four innings of work.
Whitehead remained unbeaten on the season, improving to 4-0 after allowing one run on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in seven innings in the circle.
The Wildcats took a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double to left field by Riley Phillips, driving in Rachel Pederson, who led off the game with a triple to left field.
With runners on first and third, McMurtry drove in Unverzagt with a fielder's choice RBI, tying the game in the top of the fourth inning at 1-1.
Kaitlyn Fisher's RBI single to center field scored Leslie Egan, giving BU a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
Baker answered in the bottom half of the fifth, tying the game on a run-scoring triple to right field by Rilee Bell.
The Bruins took a 4-2 lead in the top of the sixth on a two-run homer to center field by Alexa Sidel.
After giving up a walk in the bottom of the seventh, Katie Cunningham (5-1) retired the next three batters to earn her fifth victory of the 2025 season. She allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout in seven innings of work.
Breana Barchak fell to 1-2 on the season, giving up four runs on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts in seven innings in the circle.