Bruins off to 2-0 start in MCAC play

CONWAY, Ark. – The Bellevue University softball team resumed their winning ways with a pair of victories at the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Crossover at Central Baptist College on Friday evening. Bellevue downed the hosts from Central Baptists 4-3 in the first game of the evening before dispatching Central Christian College 10-0 in five innings in the nightcap.

With the victories Bellevue improves to 17-8-1 (2-0 MCAC) on the year and are 12-1-1 in their last 14 games.

Game One: Bellevue 4, Central Baptist 3

Senior Ashley Gigax was 2-for-2 with a double, and drove in the eventual game-winning run with a sac fly in the top of the seventh, to lead Bellevue to a 4-3 victory over Central Baptist on Friday evening.

Bellevue scored a pair of seventh inning runs and survived a late comeback bid by the Mustangs to hang on for their first MCAC victory of the season. Freshman Emily Gigax reached on a fielder's choice to drive in sophomore Kaitlyn Goney to break a 2-2 tie. One batter later, Ashley Gigax drove a fly ball to left field to score junior Kendall Hendrix with a sac fly.

Hunter Clark opened up the bottom of the seventh with a double to right center to start the Mustang rally. Following a pitching change, Clark advance to third on a passed ball. Rebecca Tuggle and Alyssa Fontillas popped up and struck out swinging, respectively, and CBC was down to their last out. That brought Lauren Sweeten to the plate where she singled to left and represented the tying run with two out. The threat and rally ended when Tiffani Pledger popped out to first to end the game.

The Bruins opened the scoring when Goney singled to left to drive in sophomore Sydney Robertson in the top of the second.

Central Baptist responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half when Tuggle delivered a two-run single to plate Haley Baugh and Joella Bayles, giving the Mustangs a 2-1 advantage.

Ashley Gigax doubled to left in the third to plate senior Shelby Kindelin. Kindelin, along with Ashley Gigax, was one of two Bruins two record a pair of hits in the game.

Sophomore Kelly Fisher (8-2) earned the win, going six-plus innings in the circle and allowing just one run while scattering six hits. Senior Taylor Mohler came in for the final three outs to nail down her second save of the season.

Game Two: Bellevue 10, Central Christian 0 (5 Inn.)

Bellevue scored three first inning runs and added four in the second as the Bruins cruised to a 10-0, 5-inning victory over Central Christian on Friday evening.

Ashley Gigax, freshman Alex Tooley, and Sydney Robertson all delivered run-scoring singles to stake Bellevue starter Taylor Mohler to a 3-0 lead. It would be more than enough offense in support of Mohler who hurled five shutout innings yielding just one hit while striking out nine.

The Bruins used a couple extra-base hits to score four in the second to extend their lead to 7-0. Shelby Kindelin tripled home Mohler. Two batters later Ashely Gigax launched a two-run home run to right center, her ninth of the year. Bellevue added an additional run when Tooley scored on an error.

Bellevue added a single run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to provide the final margin and allow Mohler to move to 9-5 on the season.

Bellevue returns to action in the MCAC Crossover with games against Oklahoma Wesleyan University (11:00 a.m.) and Haskell Indian Nations University (1:00 p.m.).