Bruins split games at Cottey Tournament

Cottey Box Score
Langston Box Score

NEVADA, MO. -- Freshman Lauren Russell launched three home runs on the day as the Bellevue University softball team split a pair of games Friday at the Cottey College Tournament, falling to host Cottey, 3-2, in the opener, before rebounding with a 9-0 victory over Langston University in five innings, in the nightcap. 

With the split, the Bruins moved to 6-5 on the season. 

The Bruins will battle the same two teams tomorrow (Feb. 27) with a 1 p.m. contest against Langston and a 3 p.m. matchup with Cottey.  

Cottey 3, Bellevue 2

After giving up three quick runs in the first inning, the Bruins battled back but came up just short in the 3-2 loss to Cottey in the opener. 

The Comets scored three runs in the bottom of the first on an RBI double to deep left-center by Alyssa Montoya and on a two-run homer to right by Aryana Palencia. 

A solo homer by Kelsey Arnold on the first pitch of the third inning cut the deficit to 3-1.  

The Bruins threatened in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with two outs. However, Comet pitcher Lacey Cruz, who struck out 15 Bruins in the win, got out of the jam by striking out Arnold.  

Russell led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run to left-center field to cut the lead to 3-2. Cruz was able to secure the victory for CC, by striking out Arnold, Katlyn Kinman, and Allison O'Driscoll. 

Cruz (3-0) earned the win, allowing five hits with 15 strikeouts and two walks in seven innings of work. 

Lauren Jurek (3-2) was tagged with the loss. After the first inning, she allowed just two hits and struck out seven.  

Bellevue 9, Langston 0 (5 innings)

Russell continued her hot hitting in the nightcap and Savannah Gunn picked up her first career win in the 9-0 shutout over Langston. 

Russell went 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs to lead the BU offense as the Bruins outhit LU 10-4 in the run-rule victory. Ellie Bliemeister went 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, and an RBI. Six Bruins picked up hits in the win.  

The Bruins got off to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single to right-center field by Ashley Young. 

Bellevue added two runs in the bottom of the second as Bliemeister led off the inning with a solo home run to left field and Allison O'Driscoll drove in Savannah Gunn on an RBI single to left to make it 3-0. 

A two-run homer to center field by Russell and a run-scoring double to center field by Arnold extended the BU lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the third.

A three-run bomb to left field by Russell in the bottom of the fourth made it 9-0.

Gunn (1-2) allowed just four hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings of work. 

McKenzie Connor suffered the loss, scattering seven hits and one walk with one strikeout in 2.1 innings in the circle.