HAMMOND, La. -- The Belmont Softball team (3-2) rebounded in fine fashion with a pair of victories to close out the SELA Lion Classic on Sunday. The Bruins knocked off Detroit Mercy, 8-4, and blew by Texas A&M Corpus Christi in its nightcap rematch, 4-1.
In the nightcap against the Islanders, the Bruins got hot early and did not look back. TAMUCC posted a single run in the top of the first but BU answered back, knotting the score in the bottom of the same, thanks to a double by senior Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.) that sent classmate Jess Andree (Darien, Ill.) home. Belmont continued to pack on the runs, adding two more in the bottom of the second. Junior Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) opened the frame with a single to right and moved to second base on a wild pitch. Sophomore Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) smacked a double to left to score Baker and a long single by Andree scored Sims.
The Bruins added their final run in the bottom of the third. Junior Chelsea Thomas (Hot Springs, Ark.) opened the inning with a double before a single by classmate Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) sent her over the plate to bring the score to 4-1.
Baker led BU at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Andree and Thomas both went 2-for-4.
Freshman Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) went the distance once again inside the circle, logging 12 strikeouts.
Earlier in the day, the Bruins rolled by Detroit Mercy, 8-4. Belmont came out of the gate hot after holding the Titans silent in the top of the first. In their half of the same inning, three consecutive singles by Sims, freshman Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas and Andree put runners in scoring position. Rouse drove a single down the left field line to score the Bruins' first run of the contest and was followed by single by Thomas to add a second run.
Belmont exploded in the bottom of the second inning, posting four runs. Two of the runs came courtesy of Andree's second home run of the tournament. Newcomer Cam Strother (Chesapeake, Va.), in the game as a pinch runner, stole third base before charging to cross the plate after a throwing error by the Titan catcher to bring the score to 6-0. Detroit netted its first run of the day in the top of the fourth inning but BU responded, adding two more runs in the bottom of the fifth frame.
Despite trailing 8-1, the Titans continued trying to catch up to Belmont. Detroit recorded two runs in the top of the sixth and one more in the top of the seventh but could never close the gap as BU held on for the 8-4 victory.
Andree went 3-for-4 at the plate and Thomas went 2-for-3.
Inside the circle, Rouse went the distance for the first time this season, finishing with three strikeouts.
BU returns to action on February 23-25 with its home opening tournament, the Belmont/TSU Winter Warmup at E.S. Rose Park.
