Bulldogs split with Bellevue University

Concordia split a pair of softball games with Bellevue University on Wednesday evening in Seward.  The Bulldogs won game one by the score of 5-1, and Bellevue rallied to win game two by the score of 7-5.  Concordia moved to 7-5 on the year, while Bellevue is 5-10. 

In game one, Concordia got off to a slow start offensively.  However, the Bulldogs used big innings in the fourth and fifth to pull away for the win.  The Bulldogs broke through with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth.  Nicole Mapes (Greeley, Colo.) and Amanda Beeson (Waverly, Neb.) each had RBI singles in the inning for Concordia. 

After Bellevue got on the board with a single run in the top of the fifth, Concordia responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-1 lead.  Amanda Baldwin (Wilber, Neb.) walked to lead off the inning, and Nicole Baker (Arvada, Colo.) followed with a 2-run homer to right center.  Clarissa Eloge (Rising City, Neb.) added an RBI single for Concordia’s final run of the inning. 

Concordia finished with eight hits in the game.  Baker, Natalie Svoboda (Lincoln, Neb.) and Eloge all had two hits to pace the Bulldog offense.  Nicole Sempek (Columbus, Neb.) improved to 4-1 on the year with a solid performance on the mound.  The junior allowed the one run on just two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in the contest. 

Bellevue rallied with three late runs to pick up the win in game two.  The visiting Bruins took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI double by Brooke Ellis in the top of the first inning. 

Concordia tied the game with a single run in the second.  With two outs in the inning, Mikaela Klein (Grand Island, Neb.) tripled and scored on an RBI single by Amber Topil (Seward, Neb.).  The Bulldogs tacked on two more runs in the third inning.  Eloge delivered an RBI single, and Beeson added an RBI double to give Concordia a 3-1 advantage. 

The Bulldogs took a 5-1 lead with two more runs in the fourth.  Baker drove in Kelsey Timmerman (O’Neill, Neb.) with an RBI single, and Svoboda knocked in Baldwin with an RBI groundout later in the inning. 

Bellevue got back in the game with a big fifth inning.  The Bruins scored three runs on four hits and a Concordia error to cut the lead to one at 5-4.  Ellis had the big hit in the inning with a 2-run double. 

After a scoreless sixth inning, Bellevue again scored three times in the top of the seventh.  A wild pitch allowed the first run to score, and a 2-run double by Ellis put the Bruins on top by the score of 7-5.  Concordia put the leadoff batter on base in the bottom of the seventh but was unable to mount a rally, as Bellevue secured the 7-5 win. 

Bellevue finished with 10 hits in the game compared to nine for Concordia.  Ellis went 3-for-4 with three RBI’s for the Bruins.  Amanda Neumann picked up the win in relief for Bellevue. 

Baker, Klein and Baldwin all had two hits to lead the way offensively for Concordia in the loss.  Sempek (4-2) suffered the loss on the mound.  She allowed three runs on five hits with three strikouts in 2.1 innings of relief.  Elizabeth Young (Grand Prairie, Texas) worked the first 4.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. 

Concordia hosts Briar Cliff on Friday and Dordt College on Saturday.