BU sweeps Panthers, 7-0, 7-2

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Bellevue University softball team swept visiting York College Monday in the Bruins' home opener, winning by scores of 7-0 and 7-2. 

With the sweep, the Bruins improved to 14-10 on the season. York fell to 1-15 overall.  

Bellevue will open up conference play this weekend when it hosts Mayville State in a four-game NSAA series at Roy Smith Field. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 3 p.m. and Sunday's twin bill will commence at noon. 

Game 1: Bellevue 7, York 0

The Bruins launched four home runs and rode the solid pitching of Erin Sharpe en route to the 7-0 victory in the opener. 

A two-run homer to center field by Sharpe gave the Bruins an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. An RBI single to center by Emily Mendick and a solo blast over the center field fence by Ellie Bliemeister extended the BU advantage to 4-0 in the bottom of the second.  

A two-run round-tripper to right-center field by Kaitlyn Kinman and a solo homer by Ashley Young made it 7-0 in the bottom of the fifth frame. 

Sharpe earned the complete-game shutout victory, giving up five hits and no walks with four strikeouts in seven innings of work. 

Game 2: Bellevue 7,  York 2

The Bruins pounded out 12 hits and got multiple hits from three different players while completing the sweep with the 7-2 win in the nightcap.

Sharpe went 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead the BU offense.  

A sacrifice fly to deep right field by Emily Rochford gave BU a 1-0 edge in the bottom of the first inning. A solo shot to right center by Sharpe, a run-scoring double to center field by Kinman, an RBI triple by Mendick, and an RBI single to left field by Ashlyn Teran extended the margin to 5-0 in the bottom of the third. 

The Bruins scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by an RBI single to left field by Kinman to push the lead to 7-0. 

York scored its first runs of the evening in the top of the seventh, plating runs on three hits, including a ground-out RBI by Brieanna Cortez to make the final, 7-2. 

Brieanna Brock, who improved to 5-1 on the season, scattered just three hits, all in the seventh inning, and did not allow a walk while striking out nine in seven innings of work.