BU falls to loser's bracket with 1-0 loss to Dickinson in 10 innings

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BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The second-seeded Bellevue University softball team fell to the loser's bracket of the North Star Athletic Association Tournament after suffering a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to No. 3-seeded Dickinson State University in 10 innings in the Bruins' second game of the tournament Thursday afternoon at the Lied Activity Center Softball Fields.

Earlier in the day, the Bruins edged No. 7 Waldorf University, 4-3. 

Bellevue (36-19) will now play Mayville State University at 12:30 p.m. on Friday in an elimination contest.

Dickinson State advanced to the winner's bracket final against top-seeded Valley City State University at 3:00 p.m. Friday.  

Bellevue 4, Waldorf 3

Despite outhitting the Warriors, 10-5, the Bruins held on to defeat the seventh-seeded Warriors, 4-3. Lauren Russell drove in a pair of runs, while Ellie Bliemeister and Ashley Young collected two hits each, and Emily Rochford produced her 12th home run of the season.  

The Bruins took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run single up the middle by Russell. 

A solo shot over the left-field fence by Rochford and an RBI double to center field by Young increased the BU margin to 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth frame. 

After Cory Carillo retired the Warriors' first 13 batters, a double by Katie Chapman and a two-run homer by Kassidy Elyea sliced the BU lead to 4-2 in the top of the fifth. 

Elyea made it a one-run game in the top of the seventh on an RBI single to center field, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Carillo ended the threat and the game by producing a pair of strikeouts. 

Carillo improved to 7-1 on the season, giving up three runs with five hits, one walk, and 10 strikeouts in seven innings of work. 

Alex Mathers suffered the loss, falling to 4-15 overall. She allowed 10 hits with one walk and no strikeouts in six innings.  

Dickinson State 1, Bellevue 0 (10 innings)

In a pitcher's duel between BU's Lauren Jurek and DSU's Jaya Allen, that saw a total of 29 strikeouts, the Blue Hawks pulled out a dramatic 1-0 victory to advance to the winner's bracket final on Friday. 

Jurek produced a career-high 16 strikeouts in the loss. The 16 strikeouts tied for the second-highest single-game total in school history.  

The Bruins did not have a baserunner until Lauren Russell got a two-out walk in the bottom of the fifth inning. After a wild pitch advanced Russell to second, Allen struck out Rochford to end the threat. 

The Blue Hawks threatened in the top of the seventh after a hit batsman and a single by Kennedy Kuntz gave DSU runners on first and second with two outs. Jurek struck out pinch hitter Madison Stephens to keep the game scoreless. 

Ashley Young produced BU's first hit of the contest in the bottom of the seventh with a single to center field. A sacrifice bunt by Maricela Egan advanced pinch-runner Mya Montero to second. Allen induced a pair of flyouts to send the game to extra innings.  

After a scoreless eighth inning for both teams, Jurek retired the side in the top of the ninth. Alyssa Morbach led off the bottom of the ninth with a double down the left-field line. Allen, however, escaped the inning with a popup, strikeout, and ground out to send the game to the 10th inning. 

After singles by Olivia Hanke and Rhea Paiva gave the Blue Hawks runners on the corners with two outs in the top of the 10th inning, Katelyn Kubitschek drove in the game's only run with an RBI single up the middle, giving DSU a 1-0 lead.

A walk to Russell and an infield single by Rochford put runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, but Allen produced her 13th strikeout of the game to end the contest. 

Jurek fell to 17-8 on the season, scattering seven hits with no walks and 16 strikeouts in 10 innings in the circle. 

Allen improved to 15-4 overall, allowing just three hits with two walks and 13 strikeouts in 10 innings of work.