SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska’s Softball team dropped a 9-2 decision to Bellevue University in a non-conference matchup at Plum Creek Park on Wednesday (April 23). The Bulldogs struggled to contain the Bruins’ potent offense, which erupted for six runs in the fourth inning, while the Bulldog bats managed just six hits against a trio of Bruin pitchers.
Head Coach Brock Culler and company are 25-18 with one series remaining before the GPAC tournament.
“We had a game plan coming in, that we were going to get a lot of players in,” Coach Culler said. “The thing is we needed kind of like a mood swing game. There was good energy tonight. That’s all we needed. The energy in the dugout was positive and that was good.”
Bellevue struck first, plating three runs in the opening frame. Concordia answered in the bottom half when Avery O’Boyle stole home after the Bruins tried to throw Jennifer Katz out at second, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The game’s turning point came in the fourth, as Bellevue sent 10 batters to the plate, collecting six hits, including a two-run double by Breanna McMurtry and an RBI double by Sami Short. Concordia’s pitching staff, led by starter Kaylei Denison (11-5), couldn’t stem the tide, with relievers Taryn Ganstrom, Jordan Head, and Megan Eurich allowing six runs in the frame, pushing the score to 9-1.
Concordia showed fight in the fifth when Ganstrom tripled and scored on O’Boyle’s double, narrowing the gap to 9-2. Ganstrom, a Southwestern Community College transfer, surpassed Stephanie Hinrichs (1998) and Celine Lassaigne (2003) for the single season triples record (9) in the program’s history.
| HIGHLIGHT: Ganstrom owns the record for single-season triples (9) after this sprint to third base!! The Bulldog surpasses Stephanie Hinrichs (1998) and Celine Lassaigne (2003). pic.twitter.com/V5vDsQPELR
— Concordia Bulldogs (@cunebulldogs) April 24, 2025
O’Boyle finished 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run, and a stolen base, while Ganstrom went 1-for-4 with a run. Keira Farritor added two hits, but the Bulldogs couldn’t sustain the rally against Bellevue’s reliever Madison Unverzagt (7-1), who earned the win with two scoreless innings.
Denison took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits over 4.2 innings, with five walks and one strikeout.
Bellevue’s offense, powered by Arika Sidel’s 3-for-4 day with two RBIs and McMurtry’s two RBIs, left 10 runners on base but capitalized when it mattered. The Bruins (26-17) will face Dakota State University (S.D.) in a four game series next.
The Bulldogs (25-18, 10-10 GPAC) return to action this weekend, aiming to rebound in their final regular-season series against College of Saint Mary (9-28, 7-13 GPAC) before postseason play. The doubleheader will start at 1 p.m. CT in Omaha, Neb.