Bellevue sweeps Lady Warriors

A late offensive explosion wasn’t enough to save the Midland Lutheran College softball team from being swept by Bellevue University on Tuesday.

The Lady Warriors lost the opener at Christensen Field 3-0 and didn’t get a hit until the fifth inning of game two. Midland then scored four runs in the final two innings, but still fell 5-4.

In the opener, the Lady Warriors scattered just six hits off Chelsey White. Abby Grebert had three hits and Kayla Gataivasa had two for MLC.

“We didn’t have hardly any good at-bats in that game at all, and that was the very frustrating part,” Midland coach Keith Kramme said. “We had some runners in scoring position on a couple of occasions, but it was usually with two outs and your opportunities are much less when you’re waiting for two outs to get something going.”

Lori Huelskamp was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Nikki Kalasky drove in a pair of runs for Bellevue in the game.

Kelly Sladek took the loss for MLC.

Bellevue, ranked No. 21 in the NAIA, struck first in the nightcap in the top of the third inning.

Sara Chancellor reached on a double when MLC’s outfielders had a miscommunication on a fly ball. Chancellor scored on a single by Sarah Walck.

The Bruins (14-3) added a pair of runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Huelskamp.

Midland, meanwhile, didn’t even have a baserunner until Rachel Theis singled with one out in the fifth inning.

The Lady Warriors, though, found some offense in the sixth.

Grebert singled to lead off the inning before Nichole Hraban and Jessie Smith flew out. Kate Schwarz followed with a single and Gataivasa drew a walk to load the bases.

Mallory Ruhl then laced a single to left field that scored Grebert and pinch runner Katy Perry. Gataivasa, though, was thrown out trying to reach third to end the inning.

Bellevue answered with a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-2 lead. Walck had a one-out double to score Chancellor and Kalasky also had an RBI double in the inning.

“Both of those big hits were literally right on the left-field line and the right-field line,” Kramme said. “They’re tremendous contact hitters top to bottom, one through nine. That was by far the best contact hitting team that I’ve seen in our 26 games.”

Midland didn’t go down quietly in its last at-bat, though.

With one out, pinch hitter Dani Wooldrik drew a walk and Erinn Brue followed with a two-run homer to left field.

Bellevue’s Jennifer Miller, though, got Grebert to pop out and Nichole Hraban to ground out to end the game.

“The last two innings we were as aggressive at the plate as we have been all year long, and we got some results out of it,” Kramme said. “We went up there and we swung with a purpose. We got some good contact and put the ball in play and good things happened.

“We need to continue that trend, but we need to do it for seven full innings. We can’t continue to wait to start making something happen or to start figuring out a pitcher until the fifth, sixth of seventh inning.”

Miller went the distance to earn the win for the Bruins. Theis took the loss for the Lady Warriors (9-17).