Bruins down No. 16 Columbia, OPSU, to move to 4-0

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ALLEN, Texas — The Bellevue University softball team moved to 4-0 on the season with a pair of wins on Sunday at the Southern Collegiate Sports NAIA Invitational at Allen Station Softball Fields. BU downed No. 16 Columbia College, 8-0 (5 innings) in the opener before concluding the tournament with a 6-2 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State University. 

The Bruins (4-0) return to action on Feb. 24-25 when they head to Sioux Center, Iowa, to compete in three games at the Dordt Dome Classic. 

Bellevue 8, Columbia 0 (5 innings)

The Bruins scored eight runs in the first two innings and rode the solid pitching effort of Katie Cunningham en route to the 8-0 shutout in the opening game over 16th-ranked Columbia.  

BU got out of the gates quickly, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run triple to left field by Ashley Young and a two-run homer to center field by Myla Beckstrom, chasing starter Cassidy Avery. 

Bellevue extended the lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the second, sparked by RBI singles to center field by Reese Floro and Liana McMurtry and a bases-loaded walk to Beckstrom. 

Cunningham improved to 2-0 on the season, allowing just three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings in the circle. 

Bellevue 6, Oklahoma Panhandle State 2

Bellevue overcame a slow start and got multiple hits from Floro, Sami Reding, and Beckstrom as BU remained unblemished with the 6-2 victory over OPSU in the nightcap. 

The Aggies grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single to center field by Sarah Conley and on an RBI infield single by Kaitlyn Fanning.  

BU quickly responded in the bottom half of the first, tying the game at 2-2 on RBI singles by Beckstrom and Atiana Rodriguez. 

An RBI double to left field by McMurtry gave BU its first lead of the game at 3-2 in the bottom of the third frame.  

The Bruins added three runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by an RBI single to center field by Reding. Leslie Egan and Rodriguez also scored on a throwing error by Aggie pitcher Sarah Conley to increase the cushion to 6-2. 

Savannah Gunn (1-0) earned the win, scattering seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts in seven innings of work. 

Conley was tagged with the loss, giving up six runs on nine hits with four walks and three strikeouts in five innings in the circle.