The Concordia University, Nebraska softball team picked up a confidence building split with the nationally ranked Bellevue University Bruins on Tuesday afternoon in Omaha, Neb.
In game one Concordia (8-4, 0-0 GPAC) got a quick start out of the gate as sophomore Laura Fugate led off with a double and later scored when senior Christy Jeppesen doubled. The Bulldog offense would continue to roll as Concordia added two more runs in the top of the second before blowing the game open when senior pitcher Sarah Bergan had a three-run home-run, opening up a 6-1 lead in the bottom of the third.
Bergan would go the distance for the Bulldogs on the mound, keeping the Bruin offense off balance all game, scattering 10 hits. The senior ace gave up only four runs, all earned, striking out five while walking only one to earn the win for Concordia.
Bergan also led the Bulldog offense with three RBI's while Fugate, senior Samantha Hellbusch, and junior Kendall Burgess each had multi-hit games for Concordia. Bellevue (9-6, 0-0 MCAC) starter Chelsey White was chased after just three innings, giving up six runs on nine hits.
Game two was a different story for the Concordia offense as the Bulldogs were held to just four hits while not being able to advance a runner past second base.
"We just didn't get the key hits we needed to be successful," Head Coach Frank Greene said. "It was a very well played game we just came up short on the offensive end."
The Bruins were able to get on top early as lead off hitter Skye Wakefield singled to left center and two batters later scored on a single by Jordann Ellis. Bellevue would add two more unearned runs to pick up the 3-0 victory. Sophomore Caitlin Lawrence was tagged with the loss for Concordia giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings of work.
Concordia will again be in action Wednesday, March 26 as the Bulldogs open up Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) play against the Midland Lutheran College Warriors at 5 p.m. in Seward, Neb.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score