Bellevue falls twice Monday in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Fla. — Bellevue University dropped both games of its Monday doubleheader at the Space Coast Spring Games, falling 8-7 to Mount Vernon Nazarene University before a 2-0 loss to the University of Saint Francis (Ill.).
Bellevue totaled 20 hits on the day but left 13 runners on base and finished 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position. The Bruins built a 6-0 lead in the opener before MVNU walked it off with two unearned runs in the seventh, then collected eight hits against USF but were held scoreless.
The Bruins are now 6-10 on the season.
Kaitlyn Fisher and Marguerite Brown each went 5-for-8, with Fisher adding two doubles and Brown posting a home run and a double in the opener. Miranda Garcia finished 3-for-8 with a double.
Game 1: Mount Vernon Nazarene University 8, Bellevue University 7
Bellevue opened the scoring in the second when Mariah Unverzagt homered to right-center for a 1-0 lead. The Bruins then plated five runs in the third to extend the margin to 6-0, with Laila Fiscus scoring on a passed ball (2-0), Brown homering to left to make it 4-0, and Breanne McMurtry doubling in two runs to push the advantage to 6-0.
MVNU answered with three runs in the third to cut it to 6-3, then added two in the fifth to pull within 6-5. The Cougars tied it in the sixth (6-6) before Bellevue went back in front in the seventh when Brown doubled and scored on Leslie Egan's sacrifice fly (7-6).
In the bottom of the seventh, MVNU tied it on Camden Laymon's RBI single (7-7) and won it on Brooklyn Krum's RBI single (8-7) after an error put two runners in scoring position.
Pitching recap: Bailey Sheets (3-0) earned the win with 5.0 innings of relief, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with two strikeouts. Ellie Zoucha (1-4) took the loss in relief.
How It Happened
Top 2nd: Unverzagt solo home run (BU 1-0).
Top 3rd: Fiscus scored on a passed ball (BU 2-0); Brown two-run home run (BU 4-0); McMurtry two-run double (BU 6-0).
Bottom 3rd: Skylar Zimmerman RBI groundout (BU 6-1); Dakota Staffan two-run home run (BU 6-3).
Bottom 5th: Zimmerman bases-loaded walk (BU 6-4); Avery Miller RBI single (BU 6-5).
Bottom 6th: Zimmerman RBI single (tied 6-6).
Top 7th: Egan sacrifice fly (BU 7-6).
Bottom 7th: Laymon RBI single (tied 7-7); Krum RBI single (MVNU 8-7).
Top Performers
Bellevue University
Marguerite Brown: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Mariah Unverzagt: 2-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
Kaitlyn Fisher: 2-for-4, 2 2B, R
Breanne McMurtry: 1-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Brooklyn Krum: 4-for-4, RBI, 3 R
Skylar Zimmerman: 1-for-3, 3 RBI, BB
Dakota Staffan: HR, 2 RBI
Inside the Numbers
Bellevue: 7 runs, 12 hits, 1 error, 4 LOB; MVNU: 8 runs, 13 hits, 1 error, 6 LOB.
Bellevue went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position; MVNU went 7-for-14.
MVNU scored two unearned runs in the seventh inning to end it.
Game 2: University of Saint Francis (Ill.) 2, Bellevue University 0
Bellevue out-hit the Saints 8-6 but was held scoreless. USF took a 1-0 lead in the second when Emily Hurst doubled and scored on Isabella Landeros' RBI single.
The Saints added an insurance run in the seventh as Kylie Cook singled and Katherine Winkel pinch ran before Hurst doubled down the right-field line to make it 2-0.
Bellevue put two on in the seventh on Carly Bertolini's leadoff walk and Fisher's single, but USF closed it out by retiring Brown on a flyout to right field and striking out Garcia looking to strand two.
Pitching recap: Kaitlyn Schofield (4-2) tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Bertolini (2-4) went the distance for the Bruins, giving up two runs on six hits.
How It Happened
Top 2nd: Landeros RBI single (USF 1-0).
Top 7th: Hurst RBI double (USF 2-0).
Top Performers
Bellevue University
Kaitlyn Fisher: 3-for-4
Marguerite Brown: 2-for-4
Miranda Garcia: 1-for-4, 2B
Kaitlyn Schofield (USF): 7.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
University of Saint Francis (Ill.)
Emily Hurst: 2-for-3, 2 2B, RBI, BB, R
Isabella Landeros: 1-for-3, RBI
Kaitlyn Schofield: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Inside the Numbers
Bellevue: 0 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors, 9 LOB; USF: 2 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 9 LOB.
Bellevue went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Bellevue put two on in the seventh but did not score.
Up Next: The Bruins will continue action at the Space Coast Spring Games on Tuesday, March 10, when they battle Aquinas College at 3:45 p.m. (CT).