Bellevue University head softball coach Michala Cimino picked up her 500th career victory as the Bruins earned up a doubleheader North Star Athletic Association sweep over visiting Waldorf University Sunday afternoon at Roy Smith Field.
BU won by scores of 10-1 in five innings and 4-0.
The Bruins celebrated seniors Lauren Jurek, Ashley Young, and Mya Montero following Sunday’s second contest.
Cimino, who is in her 14th season at Bellevue University, is now 500-225-1.
The two teams will complete the four-game series with an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Monday (April 17) at Roy Smith Field.
Game 1: Bellevue 10, Waldorf 1 (5 innings)
The Bruins scored 10 runs in the first three innings, and Savannah Gunn gave up just four hits as BU cruised to the 10-1 win in five innings in the opener.
A two-run double to left field by Ashley Young gave the Bruins an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
The Bruins increased the margin to 5-0 in the bottom of the second, sparked by an RBI single up the middle by Reese Floro and a groundout RBI by Sami Reding.
The Warriors got on the board in the top of the third on a solo home run to center field by Kaela Eslinger, slicing the advantage to 5-1.
Bellevue pushed the margin to 10-1 in the bottom of the third frame, highlighted by an RBI double to center field by Lauren Jurek, a sacrifice fly to right field by Madison Machacek, a two-run single to left field by Floro, and a bases-loaded walk to Amanda Placzek.
Gunn improved to 7-2 on the season, scattering four hits with one walk and two strikeouts in five innings of work.
Alex Mathers (4-7) suffered the loss, giving up six runs on eight hits with two walks and no strikeouts in two innings in the circle.
Game 2: Bellevue 4, Waldorf 0
Jurek tossed a four-hit complete-game shutout, and BU scored a pair of runs in the first and third innings as the Bruins earned the sweep with the 4-0 victory.
A sacrifice fly to center field by Reding and an RBI double to center field by Jurek gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
The Bruins scored two runs in the bottom of the second, scoring on a fielding error by WU third baseman Paige Pierson and on a sacrifice fly to center field by Young that scored Liana McMurtry, who reached on a triple to right field.
Jurek improved to 7-2 on the season, allowing just four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in seven complete innings of work.
McKenna Mentink was tagged with the loss, falling to 4-8 on the season. She gave up four runs on nine hits with four walks and two strikeouts in six innings.
