Bruins drop three games in opening day at Evangel

Evangel Box Score
Missouri Baptist Box Score
Missouri Valley Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Bellevue University softball team opened the 2011 season with three losses at the Evangel University Tournament Friday, falling 6-3 to Evangel, 13-9 to Missouri Baptist, and 16-0 to Missouri Valley.

Evangel 6, Bellevue 3
In her first career at bat as a Bruin, Amanda Neuman homered to give Bellevue an early 1-0 advantage in the top of the first inning. Evangel evened the score in the bottom half of the inning and then exploded for four runs on six-consecutive hits in the bottom of the second to take a 5-1 lead.

Evangel added another run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Hannah Somers to extend the lead to 6-1.

Brooke Ellis blasted an RBI double to deep right center field to pull the Bruins to within four runs at 6-2 in the top of the fifth inning.

Jessica Guyle ripped an RBI double in the top of the seventh to bring BU to within three runs at 6-3. With two outs, two runners on and the tying run at the plate, the Crusaders replaced starter Kaitlyn Hasty with Katelyn Tolle, who struck out Neumann to end the game.

Both Guyle and Neumann finished 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Bruins at the plate. Kelly Wieczorek (0-1) took the loss for Bellevue while Hasty picked up the win and Tolle the save.

Evangel Line Score
Bellevue....100 001 1 - 3 7 1
Evangel.....140 100 x - 6 11 1
WP: Hasty
Save: Tolle
LP: Wieczorek (0-1)
2B: EU: Luebke, Billings; BU: Ellis, Guyle
3B: EU, Preaus
HR: BU, Neumann

Missouri Baptist 13, Bellevue 9

Missouri Valley 16, Bellevue 0