Bruins salvage split with Hastings

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- After dropping the first game 12-3 in six innings to Hastings College, the Bellevue University softball team came from behind, scoring seven unanswered runs to post a 9-8 win in eight innings in the nightcap to salvage a doubleheader split Monday night at Haworth Park.

With the split, Bellevue moves to 25-14 on the season. Hastings is now 20-18 overall.

GAME 1
The Broncos pounded out 16 hits en route to the 12-3 six-inning victory in the opener. Allie Bartley went 3-for-3 and Kendra Gansz blasted her fifth home run of the season to highlight the Bruin offense.

Ashlee Lueder's two-run homer in the top of the first gave the Broncos an early 2-0 advantage.

The Bruins responded with a solo homer by Gansz in the bottom half of the inning to cut it to 2-1.

Casie Connolly's RBI single in the second extended the Hastings' lead to 3-1.

A bases-loaded sacrifice fly to right field by Erica McCoy in the bottom of the second inning made it 3-2.

A solo home run by Jenica Weiler in the top of the third frame put the Broncos up 4-2.

An RBI double by Brooke Ellis sliced the Hastings lead to 4-3.

The Broncos added six runs in the top of the fifth inning highlighted by a two-run double by Anna Eberly and RBI singles by Connolly, Rochelle Finnigan, and Sasha Chavez.

Hastings added two runs on five hits in the sixth inning to push the final tally to 12-3.

Game 1 Line Score
Hastings....211 062 - 12 16 0
Bellevue.....111 000 - 3 8 5
WP: Paladino (10-7)
LP: Crumley (15-6)
2B: HC - Finnigan, Eberly; BU - Ellis
HR: HC - Lueders, Weiler; BU - Gansz

GAME 2
An RBI single to first base by Kim Wees in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Bruins a 9-8 come-from-behind victory in eight innings in the nightcap.

The Bruins scored seven unanswered runs, rebounding from an early 8-2 third inning deficit. The third Bruin pitcher to enter the game, Aly Bowers got the win, throwing 5.2 innings, allowing no runs, four hits and one walk while striking out nine batters to improve to 5-5 on the season.

McCoy went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a home run and Bartley finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Broncos took on an early 2-0 lead on a two-run double by Finnigan in the top of the first inning.

Kayla Peltz' two-run double in the second extended the Hastings lead to 4-0. An RBI single by Chelsey Woodside made it 5-2.

A two-run homer by Katie Lefler sliced the Hastings lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the second frame.

The Broncos added three runs in the third on four hits to push the lead to 8-2.

McCoy's solo homer to left field cut the lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the third.

The Bruins clawed back in the fourth, scoring on a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single by McCoy to slice the margin to 8-5.

Bellevue tied it up in the sixth with three runs on a fielder's choice RBI by Gansz, an RBI single by Ellis and a fielding error by Bronco shortstop Ellie Flott.

Game 2 Line Score
Hastings....233 000 0 - 8 13 1
Bellevue.....021 203 1 - 9 14 1
WP: Paladino (10-7)
LP: Bowers (4-5)
2B: HC - Finnigan, Peltz; BU - Bartley, Gansz
HR: BU - Lefler, McCoy

The Bruins return to Haworth Park on Wed., April 21 for a 4 p.m. non-conference doubleheader against Benedictine.