Bruins split on first day of Warner Invitational

LAKE WALES, Fla. -- Big innings were the difference in both games as the Bellevue University baseball team split a pair of games on Thursday at the Warner Invitational. Bellevue began the day with a 5-4 loss to Lawrence Tech. (11-6) before topping Spring Arbor (7-8) by a score of 7-1.

The Bruins now sit at 5-9 overall and 1-5 on their current Florida trip. BU plays a pair of games tomorrow against Mount Vernon Nazarene (9:30 a.m.) and Thomas (12:30 p.m.) on day two of the Warner Invitational.

Game One: Lawrence Tech. 5, Bellevue 4

Lawrence Tech. put up a four-spot in the bottom of the six, scoring three unearned runs, and Bellevue stranded eight runners on base as the Blue Devils edged the Bruins 5-4 in game one of the 2018 Warner Invitational.

BU got on the board first when Travis Tanaka drilled a two-out home run to center field in the top of the third.

Lawrence Tech. tied the game in the home half of the fourth when Max Cadman delivered an RBI-single.

A pair of runs in the fifth, courtesy of a Matt Evans squeeze play and a run-scoring single from Tanaka, gave Bellevue a 3-1 lead. That lead was short-lived as the Blue Devils sent eight batters to the plate in the sixth, scoring four times, to take a 5-3 lead.

The Bruins got a run back in the seventh on a Jonah Yang RBI-single before loading the bases with just one out. However a strikeout and a ground ball fielder's choice ended Bellevue's comeback bid.

Colten Barnes (1-4) took the loss for BU with Simon Lidwell (1-0) picking up the win in relief for Lawrence Tech.

Game Two: Bellevue 7, Spring Arbor 1

Bellevue struck for four first inning runs and never looked back en route to a 7-1 victory over Spring Arbor in Thursday's second game at the 2018 Warner Invitational.

Kory Longaker and Travis Tanaka led off the home half of the first with back-to-back singles before Austin Alexander launched a three-run home run with one out. Stuart Eurich followed up by reaching on an error, stealing second, and coming around to score on a sac fly from JT Patterson.

The Bruins pushed two more runs across in the third on a 2-RBI single by Patterson.

Spring Arbor got a run back in the fourth on Danilo Leon's ground out.

BU added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Julian Rivera's sac fly chased home Diego Iribarren.

Stephen Knapp (2-0) tossed a complete game for the Bruins to pick up the win. He limited Spring Arbor to a run on seven hits and struck out six.

Duncan Patterson took the loss for the Cougars to fall to 1-2 on the season.