DICKINSON, N.D. – Dickinson State used a four-run second inning and a dominant pitching performance from senior Alison Eldridge to shut out Bellevue 8-0 in five innings Friday during the opening round of the North Star Athletic Association Softball Tournament.
With the win, the Blue Hawks advance in the winner's bracket of the double elimination tournament, while Bellevue moves to an elimination game.
Eldridge tossed a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits and three walks while striking out three in five innings of work. The senior right-hander faced 20 batters and kept the Bruins off the board despite a pair of early walks.
Dickinson State's offense took command in the second inning. After Bellevue starter Mariah Unverzagt recorded two outs, the Blue Hawks took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues and delivered a key blow with one swing. With the bases loaded, HaiLeigh Davis launched a grand slam over the outfield fence, scoring Ashlee Potter, Cassidy Venner and Allyson Farrington to give the Blue Hawks a 4-0 lead.
The offensive pressure continued into the third inning. Back-to-back singles from Brooke Lijewski and Bailey Hansen set up an RBI single from Farrington, who went 2-for-2 with a walk, three runs scored and a run batted in. Venner followed with a two-run double and came around to score herself on a Bellevue error, extending the Dickinson State lead to 7-0.
Bellevue was unable to respond. After being limited to one base runner in the first two innings, the Bruins mounted their best scoring threat in the fourth when Breanne McMurtry and Unverzagt each singled. But Eldridge responded by retiring the next two batters, including a lineout to short and a strikeout, ending the inning without damage.
The Blue Hawks added the final run in the bottom of the fifth. Farrington led off with a double and scored on a two-out RBI single by Potter, sealing the 8-0 run-rule victory.
Davis finished the game 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a run scored to lead all hitters. Farrington and Hansen each added two hits, while Venner contributed a double and drove in two runs. Potter also recorded a hit, scored once, and drove in a run.
For Bellevue, Unverzagt took the loss after allowing four runs—three earned—on four hits over two innings. Katie Cunningham and Ellie Zoucha each appeared in relief, combining to allow four more runs on seven hits. The Bruins finished with three hits in the game, one each from McMurtry, Unverzagt, and Savannah Short.
