NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Belmont University Softball handed first year head coach Megan Smith her first win in convincing fashion at E.S. Rose Park on Friday afternoon. The Bruins (1-0) knocked off Western Michigan (1-5), 7-2, battling against steadily dropping below the freezing mark as the contest went on.
It was the Broncos who made a mark on the scoreboard in the top of the first but BU came storming back it its half of the second frame, notching three runs. Senior Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) was walked and advanced to second before freshman Kristen Green (Buchanan, Ga.) used a double to left to send her home. Classmate Abi Ledbetter (Livingston, Tenn.) followed with a double of her own to send her classmate over the plate. A hard hit single by junior Elison Ollinger (Robins, Iowa) was enough to secure a third run and give Belmont a lead that it never relinquished down the stretch.
WMU scored a run in the top of the third but the Bruins repeated their earlier feat in the bottom of the fourth inning, again posting three runs. A throwing error assisted Ledbetter in reaching second base before a wild pitch moved her into scoring position. Ollinger sent a double screaming down the left line to notch BU's first run. A pair of walks for junior Cheyenne Cavanaugh (Spring, Texas) and sophomore Audrey Lyle (Westlake, Ohio) loaded the bases before Lee reached on four balls to send a runner over the plate. Junior Georgia McKee (Frisco, Texas) also walked in a run, forcing the Broncos to change pitchers.
The swap inside the circle did little to slow the Bruins as Lyle unloaded a solo shot to left in the bottom of the sixth inning to nearly put the game away for good. Senior Brittany Kennett (Melbourne, Australia) struck out back-to-back batters in the top of the seventh to secure the first win for Megan Smith, a 7-2 victory.
For the day, Cavanaugh went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double. Green and Ollinger both went 2-for-4 while Lyle smacked her first homerun of the season.
Kennett went the distance inside the circle, logging nine strikeouts.
BU returns to action on Saturday the second day of the Bruin Challenge. Belmont takes on Western Michigan at 12:30 p.m. Live stats will be available for the contest.
