Chipper Rossi shut out Bureau Valley for four innings.

Then the St. Bede hitters got a little chipper at the plate.

The Bruins scored nine runs on eight hits in the top of the fifth, including home runs by Lily Bosnich and Macy Strauch, to extend their lead. The Storm pushed across two runs in the home half, but Rossi finished out the 12-2 nonconference win.

“I feel like we did really well on hitting today and really well on defense. We always play like that. We always come out ready to go,” Rossi said. “We never let another team stop us. We always cheer each other on,, and no matter what the other throws at us we’re always going to be ready to catch it and give it right back.”

Morgan Mercer brought in St. Bede’s first run in the fifth with an RBI single to right to score Hannah Heiberger, who reached on an error.

Lisa Griggs hit a two-run triple to center field to put the Bruins ahead 6-0. Bosnich then parked a two-run homer over the center field fence to make it 8-0.

Lily McClain reached on an error by the Storm outfield and scored on a RBI double to left by lefty-hitting Ava Balestri. Heiberger singled to center to bring up Strauch, who blasted a three-run homer to center to cap the nine-run St. Bede uprising to put the Bruins ahead 12-0.

“We did start slow, but it was cold. It’s hard to hit on a cold day,” St. Bede coach Rob Ruppert said. “We persevered and made some good adjustments at the plate and got some hits. Bos and Macy have been struggling, so it was nice to get a fat one and drive it good.”

Rossi appreciated all the run support.

“When I go out there, I’m doing it for my team, and it shows up when my team comes back for me,” she said. “It’s just good to have a team that’s supportive and comes ready to play when I’m ready to play.”

Rossi scattered six hits and a walk in five innings with seven strikeouts.

“I felt strong coming out today. We all talked how this field has crazy wind and stuff, but wasn’t going to let that stop me at all,” Rossi said.

“She threw well today,” Ruppert said. “She was hitting her spots. Her screwball was working, hitting the inside corner, kept them off balance.”

The Storm got on the board in the home half of the fifth with a single by Ali Carrington and a double by Emily Wright before a two-run single to center by Kloey Trujillo. McClain doubled off the base of the center field fence to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Griggs went 3 for 3 to lead the St. Bede offense, while McClain, Balestri, Strauch, Jillian Pinter and Mercer added two hits each as the Bruins improved to 5-3.

Kadyn Haage had two hits for the Storm (3-4).

Storm starter Mallory Maubach-Williams was tagged with the loss, allowing six hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in three innings. Danicka Benavidez pitched two innings in relief, allowing 11 hits and 10 runs, six earned runs.

“I thought we played really good ball early. What was it 3-0? We had a couple chances in the first four innings to put a run or two on the board, didn’t get a timely hit,” Bureau Valley coach David Shepard said.

“For the first four innings I was happy the way we were playing and looking. This game is going to make us better. We’re going to look back at it at the end of the year, and it was games like this that made us better.”

The Storm will start conference play at home Thursday against Abingdon-Avon and a doubleheader Saturday against Princeville. Shepard said he told the Storm he wants to be 6-4 by week’s end and, “I believe we can get three wins in a row.”