Bats come alive as Bruins take two in Florida

CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bellevue University softball team recorded 32 total hits as the Bruins defeated the University of Michigan-Dearborn, 12-4, and Davenport University, 12-1, Saturday at the National Training Center Spring Games. 

Both games ended in five innings. 

The Bruins (2-2) continue action at the tournament on Sunday (March 3) with a 3 p.m. game against Hannibal-La Grange and a 5 p.m. contest with St. Francis (Ill.).

Bellevue 12, Michigan-Dearborn 4

The Bruins belted 17 hits en route to the 12-4 win in the opener over Michigan-Dearborn. Kelsie Bridgeford went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run and Kim Wees finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored to pace the BU offense. 

Amanda Neumann blasted two doubles while going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. 

Shelby Kindelin, who picked up the win in the circle, collected a pair of doubles while scoring two runs and driving in another. 

The top eight hitters in the lineup registered at least one hit with five recording multiple hits in the Bruins' first win of the season. 

Kindelin (1-1) scattered five hits while striking out four and walking one in five innings of work. 

The Bruins scored in all five innings, highlighted by a five-run fourth frame with Wees, Bridgeford, Katie Malloy and Kindelin all driving in runs. 

Bellevue 12, Davenport 1

The Bruins pounded out 15 hits to back up a two-hitter from Taylor Mohler as Bellevue notched a 12-1 win in five innings over Davenport University in the second game of the day.  

Continuing her hot hitting, Bridgeford went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, home run and four RBIs.

Bridgeford laced a two-run homer in the top of the first to give the Bruins an early 2-0 margin. Bellevue made it 3-0 in the second off of Augusta Ratliff's sacrifice bunt that scored Kindelin who led off the inning with a triple. 

A two-run double by Katie Tew increased the BU lead to 5-0 in the top of the third. 

The Bruins added three runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from Bridgeford and a one-run single by Malloy, giving BU an 8-0 advantage.

Amber Getty led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to cut the lead to 8-1. 

Bellevue added four runs in the fifth, highlighted by an RBI single through the left side by Wees and a one-run double to left field by Bridgeford. 

All nine batters in the Bruin lineup recorded at least one hit in the victory. 

Mohler (1-1) allowed two hits while striking out five in five innings of work.