SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — The fifth-seeded Bellevue University softball team advanced at the NAIA National Championship Opening Round – Sioux Center Bracket with a 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded St. Xavier University, avenging an earlier loss to the Cougars in the tournament. The Bruins (34-21) will now play second-seeded Madonna University tonight at 5 p.m. in an elimination contest. The game was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. but was delayed due to rain in the area.
St. Xavier ends its season with a 28-14 record.
The Bruins got out of the gates quickly, scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the first frame. BU used an RBI double to left-center field by Breanne McMurtry and an RBI single to left field by Madison Machacek, giving Bellevue an early 2-0 advantage.
The Cougars responded in the bottom half of the first, slicing the lead in half with an RBI single to left field by Kaitlyn Wright.
B. McMurtry belted another RBI double to left-center field and Machacek drilled a two-run single to left field to extend the Bruin edge to 5-1 in the top of the second inning.
After SXU scored a run in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI double to left-center field by Wright, Savannah Gunn replaced Katie Cunningham in the circle. The Cougars scored later in the inning on a fielding error by B. McMurtry and on an RBI single to left field by Brooke Koran to make it 5-4.
A squeeze bunt by Atiana Rodriguez scored Alexa Sidel from third, giving BU a 6-4 lead in the top of the fifth frame.
After a lead-off single by Wright in the bottom of the seventh inning, Cory Carrillo entered the circle, replacing Gunn. Carrillo retired three straight Cougars to earn her team-leading ninth save of the season.
Gunn (13-6) was credited with the victory, scattering four hits with one walk while not allowing an earned run in the 3.2 innings of work.
B. McMurtry finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a pair of doubles. Machacek was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Cunningham collected three hits and scored two runs.
BU outhit the Cougars, 13-9, in the victory.
