Softball splits in final day at Branson Bash Classic

BRANSON, Mo. -- The Bellevue University softball team split a pair of games on Saturday at the Branson Bash Classic, downing Calumet College of St. Joseph, 20-8 in the opener, before falling 3-2 to No. 7-ranked Central Methodist University in the nightcap. 

The split moves Bellevue to 3-1 on the season.  

The Bruins will head to Kansas City, Kan., next Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 15-16, to compete in the NAIA Spring Invite. Bellevue will battle Benedictine (Kan.) and Saint Mary (Kan.) on Saturday and Missouri Valley and Avila on Sunday.  

Bellevue 20, Calumet 8

The Bruins erased an early seven-run deficit, pounding out 20 hits en route to the 20-8 come-from-behind victory over Calumet in the opener. The 20 runs scored was the third-highest total in school history. The school record is 22 runs, which the Bruins scored twice during the 2017 season in victories over Midland and Dakota State. 

Abby Dworak garnered the victory in the circle while helping her cause at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and five RBIs. Mariah Unverzagt went 2-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs. Kaitlyn Fisher finished 4-for-6 with a double and four RBIs. Katie Cunningham drove in three runs, going 3-for-6 with a home run. 

The Bruins recorded seven extra-base hits in the victory. 

Calumet starter Ally Sims got out of a two-out bases-loaded jam in the top of the first, forcing a lineout to first base by Breanne McMurtry to end the threat. 

The Crimson Wave raced out to an early 7-0 lead in the bottom of the first, sparked by a two-run homer to left field by Tiffanie Brieno and RBI singles by Sims, Ashley Meade, and Kelsey Lovelace. Calumet also scored on a pair of Bruin fielding errors.  

The Bruins responded in the top of the second with an RBI double to left field by Dworak and a run-scoring single to left-center field by Fisher, slicing the advantage to 7-2. 

Dworak drove in another run in the top of the third with an RBI single to center field, making it 7-3. 

Bellevue drew to within two runs in the top of the fourth with an RBI single to center field by Unverzagt and an RBI single down the left-field line by Miranda Garcia, moving the score to 7-5. 

BU exploded for eight runs in the top of the sixth, highlighted by a grand slam from Unverzagt and a three-run double by Dworak, giving the Bruins a 13-7 advantage. 

Calumet got one run back in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on Adelina Staden's RBI double to right field, making it 13-8. 

The Bruins continued to pour it on in the top of the seventh, scoring seven runs on a two-run double to right field by Fisher, a three-run homer to left field by Cunningham, and a two-run double to left-center field by Liana McMurtry, increasing the BU edge to 20-8. 

Dworak (1-0) earned the victory, giving up four earned runs on nine hits with three walks and three strikeouts in six innings of work. 

Central Methodist 3, Bellevue 2

In a battle of unbeatens, seventh-ranked Central Methodist used some timely hitting in the fifth and sixth innings to pull out a 3-2 win over the Bruins.  

Neither team scored until the bottom of the third inning when Savannah Short's RBI single to right field scored Fisher from second, giving the Bruins a 1-0 advantage. 

The Eagles tied the game in the top of the fifth frame on Maddie Holly's RBI single to right field that plated Makayla Albert. 

BU quickly answered in the bottom of the fifth when Breanne McMurtry led off the inning with a solo homer to left-center field, making it 2-1. 

CMU countered in the top of the sixth, taking the lead after scoring a pair of runs on an RBI double down the left-field line by Rachel Brandt and an RBI single through the right side by Kaysie Jolley, giving the Eagles a 3-2 edge. 

The Bruins threatened at the bottom of the sixth with a pair of singles, putting runners on first and second with one out, but two straight flyouts ended the threat. 

Cassidy Brent retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to earn the save. 

Cunningham (1-1) suffered the loss, giving up three runs on 14 hits with two walks and six strikeouts in seven innings in the circle. 

Haley Cotter earned the win, scattering seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings of work.