Starting pitching delivers sweep to open Warner Classic

LAKE WALES, Fla. -- Bruin pitchers combined to allow just one earned run on nine hits while striking out 19 against three walks in 14 innings as the Bellevue University baseball team picked up a pair of wins to begin the 2021 Warner Classic. Bellevue defeated Brewton-Parker College 8-1 to begin the day and finished with a 7-1 triumph over host Warner University in the nightcap.

With the victories, Bellevue improves to 13-5 on the year. Brewton-Parker falls to 12-8 and Warner dips to 14-11.

Game One: BU 8, BPC 1

After Brewton-Parker scratched across an unearned run in the first off Bruin righty Corey Jackson, the Bruin starter settled in to limit the Barons to just two additional hits while striking out 12 over his final six and two-thirds innings of work.

The Bruins received a three-hit effort from Cody Banks and a two-hit game from Alec Lee.

Trailing 1-0 in the second, Conner Barnett singled home Tyler Knox before coming in to score on an error as Bellevue took the lead, 2-1.

Riley Baasch smacked a two-run triple in the third before coming around to score on an RBI-double from Knox as BU took a 5-1 lead after three.

The Bruins added an unearned run in the fourth before plating two more in the sixth courtesy of a double from Lee to score Banks and a wild pitch that allowed Daniel Teasley to come across from third.

Jackson (3-2), the reigning NSAA Pitcher of the Week, logged his second-straight complete game victory without allowing an earned run to lower his ERA to 2.09.

Baron ace Trey Jones (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season after being battered for six runs (three earned) on eight hits and a pair of walks in just 3.1 innings of work.

Game Two: BU 7, WU 1

After six innings that saw a combined three runs and eight hits, Bellevue erupted for five seventh inning runs to break open a 2-1 game and defeat Warner by a 7-1 margin.

With things proceeding into the fifth scoreless, the Bruins were first to crack the scoreboard as Brenton Davis singled home Conner Barnett before coming home himself when Alec Lee reached on an error.

The Royals halved the deficit in the home half of the sixth when David Torres singled home John Pichman.

Cody Banks, who recorded his second three-hit game of the day, got things rolling for BU in the seventh, singling home Hagen Holmstead to get back the run from the previous half inning.

With the bases loaded, Tyler Knox drove in a pair with a single to right field. Two batters later, with the bases loaded again, Barnett drove in two more with a double to center field to provide the Bruins some insurance.

Bailey Link (2-0) went the distance on the hill, striking out seven while scattering five hits.

John Bean (3-2) worked 6.2 largely effective innings for the Royals but was done in by four errors and five walks overshadowing his 10-strikeout performance.

Up Next:

Bellevue plays two more round robin games at the Warner Classic tomorrow, taking on #4 St. Thomas University (14-7) at 9 a.m. and Judson University (0-6) at 1:30 p.m.