Offense comes to life and Fisher Ks 15 in softball’s 6-1 win

CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Bellevue University softball team, behind a career day in the circle from Kelli Fisher, recorded a 6-1 victory over Trinity International University on Wednesday morning in the first of two games at Sleepy Hollow Field as part of THE Spring Games.

With the victory, Bellevue improves to 5-2 on their Florida trip and 5-7 overall. The loss, TIU's second straight, drops the Trojans to 2-6 on the season.

BU jumped to an early 3-0 lead, scoring three runs in the opening frame. Emily Gigax opened the scoring with a two-run double to center to score Erin Sharpe and Alex Tooley who set a career-high by reaching base three times via a hit-by-pitch. Emily Miller followed up with a single to left to chase in Gigax.

Fisher protected that margin until the fourth when Trinity International scored an unearned run on the Trojans' lone base-hit by Allison Naujokas that plated Alyssa Doomis who reached on an error earlier in the frame.

The Bruins added to their advantage in the sixth, hanging another three-spot to account for the final margin. Tooley delivered the first run with a single to score Sarah Zeleny. Two batters later Erin Sharpe doubled to right to score Sydney Robertson and Kayla Lehigh but Tooley was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Bellevue's eight hits on the afternoon were just one shy of their season-high set in the season-opener against Midland. Sharpe and Miller each had two hits to lead the Bruins in that category while Sharpe also co-led in RBI with Gigax as each drove in a pair.

Fisher (3-5, 2.01) fired a one-hitter and struck out a career-best 15 batters on the game. She did not allow an earned run and faced just three batters over the minimum. The 15 strikeouts are the fifth-most by a Bruin pitcher in program history.

Bellevue returns to action with a 1 p.m. local time (noon CT) games against Trinity Christian College.