Teasley hits walk-off bomb in opener as Bruins split

OMAHA, Neb. -- Daniel Teasley hit a walk-off home run in the opener as the #25 Bellevue University baseball team split a double-header with Midland University on Tuesday evening at John Stella Field at Brown Park.

The Bruins won the opener 6-3 in nine innings while Midland picked up a 3-2 win in the nightcap. With the split, Bellevue now sports a 31-13 record while Midland moves to 21-26 on the year.

Game One: BU 6, Midland 3 (9 Innings)

Daniel Teasley, who came on as a defensive replacement in the eighth, hit a walk-off three-run home run in his only at-bat of the game to give Bellevue a come-from-behind 6-3 victory

Trey Nichols put the Warriors on the board in the first with a sac fly after the first two batters of the game reached base. One was all Midland would get in the frame and the score remained 1-0 until Peyton Higgins tied things up with a solo home run in the home half of the third.

Connor Petersen and Chase Reynolds provided and RBI-single and sac fly to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead in the fourth but Bellevue answered with two runs of their own in the sixth.

Riley Baasch doubled home Cody Banks before coming into score on Nic Metcalf's rule book double. Metcalf, facing a heavy pull-side shift, lined a one-hopper to left allowing the tying run to score but the go-ahead run, Chaz Lopez, had to hold up at third despite a great jump from first.

Reliever Alexandro Celiceo worked out of trouble, stranding a pair of runners in scoring position in the seventh. Celiceo totaled three one-hit innings of relief.

Bellevue got a one-out doubled from Baasch in the eight but were unable to bring him home.

Derek Browne (3-2) worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the win.

After back-to-back ground outs to open the ninth, Rigo Duarte reached on an infield single and pinch runner Josh Benson took second on a wild pitch prompting Midland to intentionally walk Conner Barnett and bring Teasley to bat where Teasley delivered the walk-off heroics.

Colton Walker got the start on the hill for BU and went five innings allowing three runs on six hits but neither starter factored in the decision.

Matt Abdelnour (0-3) took the loss after throwing 3.1 innings of relief.

Game Two: Midland 3, BU 2

Midland scored all three of their runs in the top of the first courtesy of two-out singles from Trey Nichols and Brendon Jones.

Bellevue scored twice on a wild play in the home half of the fifth inning. With runners on second and third, Conner Barnett struck out but reached first on a wild pitch. Daniel Teasley scored on the play but took the toss from the catcher off his face which allowed Zach Diehl to score from second on the play.

The Bruins had chances throughout but left eight runners on base, including having the tying run in scoring position in each of the last three innings.

With the tying run on second and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Cody Banks sent a line drive through the box but was robbed by a diving effort by shortstop Chase Reynolds to end the game.

Josh Vaughan accounted for the lone multi-hit effort by the Bruins, going 2-for-3 in the loss.

Matthew Wickwire (1-1) earned the win for Midland allowing a pair of hits and striking out four in four innings of work.

Bailey Link took the loss to fall to 2-2. Cade Sakamoto came on and fired three perfect innings of relief, striking out three batters.

Up Next:

Bellevue hosts Waldorf University (19-24/12-11 NSAA) for a four-game NSAA series this weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 1 and noon on Sunday, May 2.