Hot-hitting Bruins salvage split with first-place Vikings

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

NSAA Standings

VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- The Bruins pounded out 24 hits, including eight home runs en route to a doubleheader split at the league's first-place team, Valley City State University, Sunday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action at the VCSU Softball Complex. 

Left fielder Maricela Egan had four home runs on the day and drove in nine runs. 

With the split, the Bruins moved to 23-16 on the season and 9-5 in the NSAA. VCSU is now 17-5 overall and 10-2 in league play.  

The Bruins will host Dickinson State in a four-game NSAA series next Saturday-Sunday, April 17-18 at Roy Smith Field in Omaha. 

Game 1: Valley City State 14, Bellevue 10

The Bruins racked up 14 hits, including five home runs, but it wasn't enough as the Vikings scored nine runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a walk-off grand slam by Marissa Hawkins as VCSU pulled out the dramatic, 14-10, victory in the opener. Egan went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs to lead BU at the plate. 

The Bruins took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Ashley Young's solo homer over the left-field fence.  BU made it 2-0 in the top of the second on Lauren Jurek's solo homer to left field.

Riley Perryman's solo homer to center field cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the second. 

The Vikings took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the third on Sierra Crocker's three-run homer to right field. 

The Bruins responded in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs on Madison Machacek's two-run homer to left field and on Ellie Bliemeister's RBI single to center field, to give BU a 5-4 lead. 

Egan led off the top of the fifth with a solo homer to right field to extend the Bruin advantage to 6-4. 

A solo homer to center field by Hawkins cut the BU lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth frame. 

Egan blasted a two-run shot over the right-field fence to extend the margin to 8-5 in the top of the sixth. 

A two-run double to left-center field by Kelsey Arnold gave the Bruins a 10-5 lead in the top of the seventh. 

A two-out, two-run single to center field by Autumn Perry drew the Vikings to within three runs at 10-7 in the bottom of the seventh. 

After Cory Carillo replaced Jurek, Jessica Husband and Joelle Aiello drove in runs with RBI singles to center to slice the advantage to 10-9. 

Jurek returned to replace Carillo and gave up an RBI single to Anne-Elise Gest, which tied the contest at 10-all. 

Hawkins launched the walk-off grand slam on a 1-0 count to end the contest at 14-10. 

Hawkins finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs to lead the Viking offense. 

Jurek (12-7) suffered the loss, giving up 12 runs on 11 hits with five walks and three strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work. 

Game 2: Bellevue 10, Valley City State 1 (6 innings)

Egan went 3-for-4 with six RBIs and two home runs as the Bruins stormed back for the 10-1 victory in six innings in the nightcap. 

Overall, BU outhit the Vikings 10-2, including five extra-base hits. 

Carillo (3-0) allowed just two hits in six innings with no walks and four strikeouts. 

Egan's three-run homer to center field gave BU an early 3-0 margin in the top of the first.

The Bruins extended the lead to 7-0 in the top of the fifth on two-run homers by Bliemeister and Egan. 

BU pushed the advantage to 10-0 in the sixth frame with a sacrifice fly to center field by Bliemeister, an RBI single up the middle by Egan and on an RBI single to center field by Lauren Russell. 

The Vikings avoided the shutout and spoiled Carillo's no-hitter with consecutive doubles by Husband and Aiello, making the final 10-1. 

Emily Smith (11-1) suffered her first loss of the season, giving up 10 runs while scattering eight hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work.