Gigax equals single-season mark, Bruins clinch MCAC share
Ashley Gigax hit her record-tying 19th home run of the year in the opener
FOREST CITY, Iowa -- Ashley Gigax made sure her name will be entrenched in the school record book for years to come after helping lead the Bellevue University softball program to a Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference split at Waldorf College on Wednesday afternoon. The Bruins downed the host Warriors 7-2 in the opener before suffering a 10-7 setback in the nightcap.
With the split, Bellevue is now 33-10-1 overall and 16-2 in MCAC play thus guaranteeing the Bruins at least a share of the 2015 MCAC Regular Season Championship. The split moves Waldorf to 15-24 (6-10 MCAC) on the campaign.
Bellevue returns to action tomorrow with a 5:00 p.m. double-header against the College of Saint Mary at Hall of Fame Fields. The Bruins could clinch the number one seed and hosting duties with a split or better against the Flames.
Game One: Bellevue 7, Waldorf 2
Bellevue used a 5-run third to rally from an early 2-1 deficit to knock off Waldorf, 7-2, behind a solid pitching performance between Kelli Fisher and Taylor Mohler.
Ashley Gigax opened the scoring with her 19th home run of the season in the top of the first to move her into a three-way tie for first place in the annals of BU softball. She occupies the top spot with Bellevue University Hall of Famer Lindsay Bredar and Amanda Neumann, both of whom hit 19 home runs in 2005 and 2013, respectively.
Waldorf responded promptly with a two-run home run by Kaitlin Murphy in the bottom half of the inning to give the Warriors their only runs of the game.
The two sides played a scoreless second inning before back-to-back doubles by Ashley Gigax and Alex Tooley plated three runs to give the Bruins a 4-2 lead. Courtney Schendt and Emily Gigax joined in the offensive action with consecutive RBI-singles to left field to stretch the advantage to 6-2.
BU added an insurance run in the fourth for good measure as Shelby Kindelin singled to center to bring home Kaitlyn Goney.
Fisher picked up the win after holding Waldorf to two runs on three hits and a walk in six innings while striking out five. She improves to 15-3 on the year. Taylor Mohler worked a scoreless seventh, striking out three, to preserve the win.
Game Two: Waldorf 10, Bellevue 7
The bats stayed hot as the Bruins scored at least seven runs for the fifth straight game, but Bellevue failed to clinch home-field advantage in next week's MCAC Tournament, falling to Waldorf 10-7.
Starter Taylor Mohler struggled early, getting touched for eight runs (five earned) on six hits and a walk in one inning of work to fall to 17-6 on the year.
Shelby Kindelin had a pair of RBI-triples and Sayde Woten doubled twice for Bellevue to highlight to offensive charge.
Bellevue struck first with a two-run single by Courtney Schendt to in the top of the first. Waldorf responded with a four spot in the bottom half to take a two-run lead. The Bruins, undeterred, struck to get one back in the top of the second on the first of Kindelin's run-plating triples.
The Warriors struck four times more in the bottom of the second to go up 8-3 which proved too much to overcome for the battle-tested Bruins.
BU pulled as close as two on Kindelin's second triple in the fifth but Waldorf responded with two runs of their own to thwart any thoughts of a comeback.
Bellevue had chances but struggled late in run-scoring opportunities stranding 10 runners on base throughout the game.