Bruins upended by late Madonna rally

AVON PARK, Fla. -- A six-run seventh inning cost the No. 7 Bellevue University baseball team a chance to wrap up their annual Florida trip with a victory as Madonna University earned an 8-4 win over the Bruins at Charles R. Head Field in the fifth place game of the Warner Invitational.

With the loss, Bellevue wraps up their spring trip at 6-4 and now stand at 9-11 overall on the season. Madonna improved to 16-9 with the win.

Bellevue opened the scoring with an unearned run off a fielding error in the first inning before tacking on a pair of runs in the second for an early 3-0 lead. Payton Higgins (1-2, 2B, RBI, run) doubled home Josh Benson and later scored on a wild pitch in the inning.

Frankie Luczska delivered a two-run single in the top of the third to pull Madonna back into the game.

With the score still, 3-2, Riley Baasch (1-3, 2 RBI) singled home Cody Banks (1-2, 2 BB, 2 runs) to double the Bruin lead to 4-2.

With the bases loaded, two outs, and the score tied at 4-4, Bellevue had a chance to escape the top of the seventh with a chance to win it in the home half. An error, however, prolonged the inning and the Crusaders struck for four more runs on a hit and an additional error.

Daniel Gore kept the Crusaders in the game allowing just one earned run (four total) over 5.1 innings of three-hit ball.

Ryan Dusang (1-0) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to earn the victory.

Charlie Patterson got the start on the hill for the Bruins but lasted just 2.2 innings, exiting with a 3-2 lead. He yielded the rubber to Chaz Lopez who worked 1.2 hitless frames before giving way to Derek Browne (2-1).

Browne worked the rest of the game, 2.2 innings, getting touched for six runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four. However, just two of the runs were earned.

Bellevue is slated to play their home-opener on Friday, Mar. 13 with a double-header against Midland University. A start time and venue will be confirmed this week.