Bruins prevail in home-opener

OMAHA, Neb. -- Derik Bontempo launched a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to lead the fifth-ranked Bellevue University baseball team past Clarke University, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon in their home-opener at Westgate Field.

With the win, Bellevue improves to 18-4 while Clarke falls to 13-7 with the loss.

Bontempo came to bat with two outs and runner on first in a tie game. After taking the first pitch from reliever Evan Karre he got into the next one and drove a two-run shot over the left-center field fence to give the Bruins a 4-2 win.

Right-hander Ben McKendall saw his streak of innings without allowing an earned run come to a halt in the third after 34.0 innings when he allowed a pair of runs on Nate McMullen's triple. After the first two batters of the inning reached, McKendall set down the next two batters but McMullen's triple off the right field fence drove in two as Clarke drew first blood.

BU wasted no time responding, scoring a pair of runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Back-to-back two-out singles from Colton Nash and Derik Bontempo pulled the Bruins level at 2-2.

In eight complete innings of work, McKendall struck out a season-high 10 batters and yielded just the two early runs on eight hits while stranding seven base runners.

Leland Tilley (4-0, 1.35) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief to pick up his fourth win of the year.

Michael Lopez suffered the loss for Clarke despite 8.1 innings in which he allowed the potent Bruin offense to just three runs.