Bruins unable to sustain early leads against Keiser

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Despite taking 3-0 leads in both games the #9 Bellevue University baseball team suffered a pair of losses at the hands of #10 Keiser University on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference double-header at Silvester Field.

Keiser won game one by a score of 6-3 before going on to a 7-6 victory in game two.

Bellevue, after suffering their third-straight defeat, falls to 3-6 on the year while Keiser improves to 12-5 by running their win streak to five games.

The Bruins will look to avoid a sweep when BU and Keiser wrap up the three-game series tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Game One: #10 Keiser 6, #9 Bellevue 3

Keiser scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to rally from a 3-0 hole for a 6-3 victory in the first game of this weekend's three-game series between Bellevue and the Seahawks.

Justin Lara's broke a 3-3 tie with his fielder's choice to short in the bottom of the eighth. The play was bobbled initially and the ensuing throw to second wasn't clean allowing Carlos Lopez, who never hesitated, to come around to score from second on the play. Jonathan Fernandez followed that up with a two-run single to right giving the Seahawks a pair of insurance runs.

Bellevue got off to a strong start, scoring the game's first three runs on RBI-singles from Riley Baasch and Kory Longaker in the first and second inning, respectively. Then, two innings later, Longaker plated Diego Iribarren with a double down the left field line to push the lead to 3-0.

Keiser tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when CJ Fitzpatrick sent a bases-clearing double to the left center gap that scored Shane Oliver, Karsten Sherman, and Anfernee Torruella.

Headed to the eighth the game remained tied but Bellevue threatened in the top half. Hunter Robson reached on an error and stole second before advancing to third on a fly out to bring JT Patterson to the plate. Patterson sent a deep drive but Justin Lara made a running catch on the warning track to end inning and strand Robson.

Bruin starter Stephen Knapp delivered a quality start, limiting Keiser to three run on six hits while striking out seven over six innings of work.

Mitch Savine (0-1) threw well his first appearance of the season in relief but took the loss after exiting with a man on second in the eighth.

Dylan Moore (1-0) earned the victory in relief, throwing 4.1 hitless innings out of the pen. He yielded to Chris Graffeo who worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the season.

Game Two: #10 Keiser 7, #Bellevue 4

Bellevue jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead but once again Keiser came back from an early deficit to pick up a _-_ win in game two of Saturday's twin-bill.

Game two, once again, saw Bellevue get out to a quick 3-0 lead. Kory Longaker and Travis Tanaka led off the game with back-to-back singles and came home on a three-run homer by Riley Baasch, his second of the year.

Keiser, like they did in game one, responded with a three-run inning to tie the game. Ryan Gronlier delivered an RBI-single in the second and two runs came around to score on an error later in the inning.

The Seahawks went ahead in the third when Marco Rivera singled home Jonathan Fernandez. Later in the third Karsten Sherman delivered a two-run single to push the Keiser lead to 6-3.

BU got a run back in the fifth when a hit batter loaded the bases with one out. Jonah Yang then worked a walk to drive in a run but Keiser escaped further damage with a strikeout of JT Patterson and a fly out by Matt Evans.

Keiser tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when pinch-hitter Anfernee Torruella singled home a run to restore a three-run lead, 7-4.

The Bruins brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh after Longaker was hit by a pitch and Tanaka singled to open the inning. After Baasch worked an eight-pitch walk followed by a wild pitch BU had the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate. BU inched closer when Jonah Yang reached on a fielder's choice that scored Tanaka. Keiser escaped the inning by getting pinch-hitter Julian River to hit into a double play to end the game.

Alex Alfonso (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Seahawks with Jake Voss picking up his first save of the year.

BU's Colten Barnes (1-3) was charged with the loss.