BU advances on Young's 10th inning walk-off
The second-seeded Bellevue University softball team advanced to the Navy Bracket championship game of the North Star Athletic Association Tournament with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Viterbo University in 10 innings, highlighted by Ashley Young's walk-off single to end the game.
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VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- The second-seeded Bellevue University softball team advanced to the Navy Bracket championship game of the North Star Athletic Association Tournament with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Viterbo University in 10 innings, highlighted by Ashley Young's walk-off single to end the game.
The Bruins (43-16) will face the winner of tomorrow morning's Viterbo vs. Mayville State game at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
Bellevue, which extended its win streak to 13 games, outhit Viterbo 13-5 but stranded 15 base runners in the victory.
After Maddie Siedlik drilled a double to deep center field, Randi Henry got the Bruins on the board in the bottom of the fourth, driving in Siedlik with an RBI single to shallow center, giving BU a 1-0 advantage.
The V-Hawks tied the game at 1-1 on Brooklyn Ottelien's RBI single to left field that scored Alyssa Nilssen in the top of the sixth frame.
Viterbo moved ahead 2-1 in the top of the ninth on Lauren Davis' RBI double to deep center field and made it 3-1 following a misplayed grounder by BU shortstop Ellie Bliemeister that allowed Davis to score from third.
The Bruins responded in the bottom of the ninth when Erin Sharpe led off the frame with a single to center and was driven in by Young's triple down the right-field line. Bliemeister's RBI single through the hole at shortstop plated Young to tie the contest at 3-3. After Grace Glotfelty was hit by VU pitcher Kendyl Schine to give BU runners on first and second, Schine ended the threat by inducing a fly out to center and an infield pop-up to force a 10th inning.
Ashlyn Teran reached on a walk in the bottom half of the 10th and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Schine, setting up Young's game-winning single to deep center field.
Bliemeister finished 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Sharpe, Young, Glotfelty, and Siedlik all produced a pair of hits in the victory.
Monique Ashley (18-7) earned her second victory of the day, replacing starter Brieanna Brock in the top of the fifth inning. She allowed just three hits with four walks and three strikeouts in six innings of work.
Schine (1-7) was tagged with the loss, scattering five hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings in the circle.