Dominant pitching leads BU to sweep over Waldorf
The pitching trio of Katie Cunningham, Savannah Gunn, and Cory Carrillo did not allow an earned run on the day as the Bellevue University softball team recorded a doubleheader sweep at Waldorf University Saturday afternoon in the North Star Athletic Association action at Waldorf Softball Field. BU won by scores of 2-1 and 6-1.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
FOREST CITY, Iowa -- The pitching trio of Katie Cunningham, Savannah Gunn, and Cory Carrillo did not allow an earned run on the day as the Bellevue University softball team recorded a doubleheader sweep at Waldorf University Saturday afternoon in the North Star Athletic Association action at Waldorf Softball Field. BU won by scores of 2-1 and 6-1.
With the two wins, the Bruins improved to 23-14 on the season and 12-2 in the NSAA. Waldorf fell to 4-22 overall and 3-10 in league play.
The two teams will complete the four-game series with a noon doubleheader on Sunday (April 14).
Game 1: Bellevue 2, Waldorf 1
Neither team scored until Myla Beckstrom led off the top of the third inning with a solo homer to right field, giving the Bruins a 1-0 advantage.
Beckstrom led off the fifth frame with a triple to right field and was driven in by an RBI single through the left side by Atiana Rodriguez, increasing the BU lead to 2-0.
After a pair of one-out singles, the Warriors sliced the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth following a throwing error by BU third baseman Madison Machacek that allowed Gabby Bierly to score.
Waldorf threatened in the bottom of the seventh following a one-out triple down the right-field line by Kyleigh Morris and a hit batsman, chasing starter Katie Cunningham who was replaced by Cory Carrillo. Carrillo struck out the final two batters to earn her team-leading seventh save of the season, adding to her school-record single-season total.
Cunningham earned the win, improving to 13-5 on the season, allowing one unearned run while scattering four hits with no walks and four strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.
Maddie Dalkie (3-9) suffered the loss, giving up two runs on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts in seven innings in the circle.
Beckstrom led the BU offense, going 2-for-3, with a triple, a home run, and an RBI.
Game 2: Bellevue 6 Waldorf 1
Waldorf took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, scoring on a fielding error by second baseman Liana McMurtry.
After L. McMurtry singled in the top of the second, three straight walks by WU pitcher Mckenna Mentink and a hit batsman gave BU a 2-1 advantage.
The Bruins increased the lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth frame, scoring three runs on four hits, including RBI singles by Cunningham, L. McMurtry, and Beckstrom.
Bellevue added an insurance run in the top of the seventh with an RBI single through the right side by Beckstrom, pushing the margin to 6-1.
Carrillo replaced starter Savannah Gunn in the bottom of the seventh and did not allow a hit to preserve the five-run victory.
Gunn (7-4) picked up the win, allowing four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in six innings of work.
Mentink (0-9) was tagged with the loss, giving up six runs on seven hits with five walks and five K's in 6.1 innings.