Bruins shut out Warriors to begin final NSAA series
Bellevue 5, Waldorf 0; Bellevue 15, Waldorf 0... No. 4 Bruins improve to 45-7 overall and 21-1 in the NSAA
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
NSAA Standings
FOREST CITY, Iowa -- The fourth-ranked Bellevue University baseball team opened its final North Star Athletic Association series of the season by shutting out Waldorf University Friday, 5-0 and 15-0. With the two wins, the Bruins ran their winning streak to 11 games.
Bellevue improved to 45-7 on the season and 21-1 in the NSAA. Waldorf fell to 18-33 overall and 9-13 in league play.
The Bruins have won 38 out of their last 39 games.
The two teams will complete the four-game series with a noon doubleheader tomorrow (April 29) in Forest City.
Game 1: Bellevue 5, Waldorf 0
The Bruins used the solid pitching of Ben McKendall and productive hitting at the bottom of the lineup en route to the 5-0 shutout in the opener. BU outhit the Warriors 11-5 in the win.
The eight-hole hitter Miles Campbell went 3-for-4 with a home run to pace the Bruin offense. Batting in the ninth spot, Brandon Salmon was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Riley Baasch also produced two hits, a run, and an RBI in the victory.
A bases-loaded walk to Salmon gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. And BU increased the lead to 3-0 in the third following a sacrifice fly to right field by Todd Nicks and an RBI single down the right field line by Baasch.
Campbell led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to left field to push the margin to 4-0 and BU extended the lead to 5-0 when Salmon scored following a failed pickoff attempt throwing error by WU starting pitcher Tony Manna.
McKendall (8-0) picked up his eighth win of the season, scattering four hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts in eight innings of work. Dylan Thorp closed out the game in the ninth, allowing one hit while striking out one.
Manna (2-3) was tagged with the loss, allowing 11 hits and three earned runs with two walks and three strikeouts in nine innings on the mound.
Game 2: Bellevue 15, Waldorf 0
The Bruin pitching lineup of Colten Barnes, David Mendez and Caleb Rodriguez allowed just two hits, while BU continued its hot hitting in the 15-0 route in the nightcap.
Matt Evans went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs to lead BU at the plate. Campbell went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored and Derik Bontempo went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a home run and three runs scored as BU scored in each of the first five innings.
An RBI double down the left field line by Baasch and a one-run single through the right side by Hunter Kelly gave BU an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
The Bruins erupted for eight runs in the second, highlighted by a two-run single by Evans, an RBI single by Bontempo, and sacrifice flies by Campbell and Diego Iribarren.
Bontempo blasted his team-leading 15th home run of the season in the third, a solo shot over the center-field fence to extend the lead to 11-0.
A two-run double down the right-field line by Jake Browne and an RBI single to left field by Evans pushed the BU lead to 14-0 in the top of the fourth frame.
Salmon drove in Alec Chaney in the top of the fifth on a bases-loaded fielder's choice to WU short stop Jacob Tedseco to make it 15-0.
Barnes (8-2) was credited with the win, giving up just two hits and one walk while striking out six in five innings on the mound.
Nic Ray (2-6) suffered the loss after surrendering 10 runs and allowing five hits and five walks in one inning of work.