Bellevue downs Point Park, Grace (Ind.) at NTC Spring Games
Neumann hits two homers, drives in four runs; Mohler picks up win, save ...
CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bellevue University softball team picked up a pair of wins Monday at the National Training Center Spring Games, downing Point Park University, 6-4, and Grace (Ind.) College, 7-2.
Bellevue has now won six-straight games.
The Bruins (6-2) continue action at the tournament on Tuesday with a 1 p.m. game against Clarke University and a 3 p.m. contest with Lourdes University.
Bellevue 6, Point Park 4
Amanda Neumann's two-run homer in the fourth proved to be the difference as the Bruins held on for a 6-4 win over Point Park in the opening game of the day. The Pioneers were plagued by five fielding errors as PPU starter Kristen Zelenka allowed just two earned runs.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Alyssa Matoba reached base on an error, stole second and third, and came home on an error by Pioneer catcher Sara Guffrey.
Point Park quickly tied it up in the top of the second on an RBI double by Courtney Manovich.
Bellevue scored three runs in the third thanks to three PPU errors and a hit batsmen as BU grabbed a 4-1 advantage. Neumann's two-run bomb increased the BU lead to 6-1 in the fourth frame.
Ashley Moran's three-run homer off BU starter Shelby Kindelin brought the Pioneers back to within two runs at 6-4 in the top of the sixth inning.
Taylor Mohler entered the game in the top of the seventh, earning the save after retiring the side with two strikeouts and a groundout.
Bellevue 7, Grace (Ind.) 2
The Bruins pounded out 13 hits, including two home runs, to back up the solid pitching performance of Mohler, while collecting the 7-2 win over Grace in the final game of the day.
Bellevue raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Neumann's second two-run homer of the day and an RBI single by Kindelin.
A two-run homer by Katie Tew gave BU a 5-0 margin in the second.
The Lancers cut the lead to 5-1 on an RBI single by Brooke Shell in the bottom of the third inning.
After Grace added a second run in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring on a wild pitch, the Bruins distanced themselves with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, scoring on RBI singles from Kelsie Bridgeford and Katie Malloy.
Mohler (3-1) earned the complete-game win, scattering four hits with no walks, while tying a season-high with 10 strikeouts.