Bruins drop pair to close NAIA Softball Invitational
SHAWNEE, Okla. — Bellevue University closed the NAIA Softball Invitational with a pair of losses Saturday at Fire Lake Ball Fields, falling 9-1 in five innings to Friends University before dropping a 7-3 decision to Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) University. The Bruins are 2-6 after the day.
Bellevue's offense was limited to 10 total hits across the doubleheader. Kaitlyn Fisher went 3-for-6 with a double and scored twice, while Marguerite Brown totaled three hits and drove in two runs.
Game 1: Friends University 9, Bellevue University 1 (5 innings)
Friends scored four runs in each of the first two innings and pulled away early in the five-inning win. Fisher went 2-for-2 with a double and scored BU's lone run, while Brown drove in Fisher with an RBI single in the fourth.
Carly Bertolini took the loss, working 2.0 innings. Lindsey Dressman pitched the final 2.0 innings and struck out three.
How It Happened
Bottom 1st: Cambell Riordan doubled home two runs to start the scoring (Friends 2-0). Chloe Enslinger followed with an RBI double (Friends 3-0), and another run scored on an error (Friends 4-0).
Bottom 2nd: Enslinger's RBI single extended the lead (Friends 5-0) and Raeleen Hernandez added an RBI single (Friends 6-0). Friends tacked on a run on a throwing error (Friends 7-0) before Regan Witt doubled in a run (Friends 8-0).
Bottom 3rd: Riordan's RBI double pushed the margin to 9-0.
Top 4th: Fisher doubled and scored on Brown's RBI single (Friends 9-1).
Top Performers
Bellevue University
Kaitlyn Fisher: 2-for-2, 2B, R
Marguerite Brown: 1-for-2, RBI
Lindsey Dressman: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Friends University
Cambell Riordan: 2-for-2, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB
Chloe Enslinger: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Jenna Ormiston: W, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Inside the Numbers
Friends: 9 runs on 7 hits, 0 errors; Bellevue: 1 run on 4 hits, 3 errors.
Friends went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Bellevue was charged with two passed balls.
Game 2: Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) University 7, Bellevue University 3
Bellevue scored twice in the first and carried a 3-2 lead into the fourth, but Embry-Riddle plated five runs in the top of the fourth to swing the game. Brown went 2-for-4 with a double, and Breanne McMurtry doubled for BU. Mariah Unverzagt drove in a run and is now 1-1 on the season.
Unverzagt (1-1) took the loss after working 3 2/3 innings. Ellie Zoucha threw the final 3 1/3 innings in relief and struck out five.
How It Happened
Bottom 1st: Unverzagt singled in a run to open the scoring (BU 1-0). Leslie Egan followed with a sacrifice to bring home another run (BU 2-0).
Top 2nd: Arianna Garcia's RBI groundout got Embry-Riddle on the board (BU 2-1).
Top 3rd: Kealey Myhre homered to tie the game (tied 2-2).
Bottom 3rd: Miranda Garcia drove in a run on a groundout (BU 3-2).
Top 4th: Anise Romo's RBI single tied it (tied 3-3). Katie Jamieson doubled in two runs to put the Eagles in front (Embry-Riddle 5-3), then Leah Salas doubled in a run (Embry-Riddle 6-3). Salas later scored in the inning to extend the lead to 7-3.
Top Performers
Bellevue University
Marguerite Brown: 2-for-4, 2B
Breanne McMurtry: 1-for-3, 2B
Mariah Unverzagt: 1-for-4, RBI
Ellie Zoucha: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) University
Leah Salas: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
Katie Jamieson: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Kealey Myhre: HR, RBI, BB
Claire Streeter: W, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Inside the Numbers
Embry-Riddle: 7 runs on 10 hits, 1 error; Bellevue: 3 runs on 6 hits, 1 error.
Bellevue went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position; Embry-Riddle finished 4-for-12.
Up Next
The Bruins will head to Shawnee, Kan., next Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 28–Mar. 1, to compete in the NAIA Midwest College Classic. Bellevue's four opponents will include Briar Cliff, College of Saint Mary, Park (Mo.), and Waldorf.