Bruins win two on first day of Opening Round

Bellevue Bracket OR Website
NAIA Opening Round Schedule/Results
Dakstats Tournament Website

St. Xavier Box Score
USAO Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Bellevue University baseball team received a pair of complete-game efforts to preserve their pitching staff as the Bruins picked up a pair of victories on day one of the NAIA Baseball National Championship - Opening Round Bellevue Bracket.

The Bruins (40-16) began the day with an 8-3 win over fifth-seeded St. Xavier and closed out the night by knocking off top-seeded Science & Arts, 4-2. With the win, Bellevue advances to tomorrow's Winner's Bracket final where they will meet No. 3-seeded Concordia University at 2:30 p.m.

Bellevue 8, St. Xavier 3

McCrane Pledger pitched a five-hit complete-game victory and BU pounded out 17 hits en route to the 8-3 victory over SXU in the opener. All nine Bruin batters collected at least one hit in the opening-game win. 

After Pledger gave up two runs on three hits in the opening inning, he allowed just two hits the remainder of the contest to anchor the BU victory. 

The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly to right field by Declan Smith and on an RBI double down the right-field line by Collin Woulfe. 

Zach Diehl's RBI single to left field scored Chaz Lopez to slice the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second. 

The Bruins tied the game at 2-2 on Daniel Teasley's run-scoring single up the middle that plated Riley Baasch from second in the bottom of the fourth frame. 

The Cougars responded in the top of the fifth with Sam Ryan's solo homer to left field in the top of the fifth, giving SXU a 3-2 advantage.

A three-run BU fifth inning was highlighted by Baasch's two-run single to left field and by Lopez's RBI double down the right-field line, as the Bruins regained the lead at 5-3.

Sacrifice flies by Conner Barnett and Cody Banks expanded the Bruin advantage to 7-3 in the bottom of the sixth. 

The Bruins added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on Barnett's RBI single to right field that scored pinch-runner Josh Benson, making the final, 8-3. 

Lopez finished the game 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Baasch and Barnett both went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. 

Pledger improved to 5-3 on the season, allowing five hits with no walks and six strikeouts in nine complete innings. 

Julian Vargas (7-4) suffered the loss, giving up seven runs on 14 hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work.  

Bellevue 4, Science & Arts 2

Corey Jackson struck out 16 Drover batters and Conner Barnett provided a crucial two-run insurance home run in the eighth inning as the Bruins defeated Science & Arts, 4-2.

Bellevue opened the scoring in the top of the first courtesy of three-straight two-out hits. Riley Baasch drove in the game's first run and BU threatened for more before Colton Williams escaped the jam with two runners stranded on base.

Leaving runners aboard plagued the Bruins early as they left seven runners on through five innings (and 10 for the game) but were able to chase Williams early.

Williams (12-1) suffered his first career loss, allowing a run on a career-high nine hits allowed over 79 pitches as he exited after five innings of work.

Rigo Duarte chased in an insurance run with a sac fly in the sixth to stretch the BU lead to 2-0.

Barnett's eight inning shot appeared to be more than enough to back Jackson's strong start as Bellevue led 4-0 while S&A was down to their final six outs.

However, Jake Womack delivered a sharply hit ground ball with two outs that Cody Banks dove to knock down but was unable to get a handle as two runs scored on the play. After issuing a walk, Jackson saw Brock Henderson drive a ball deep to center that Barnett hauled in at the warning track.

After S&A held Bellevue scoreless in the ninth, the Drovers had one final opportunity against Jackson. Brennan Brister led off the frame with an infield single but Jackson found a little extra and struck out the next three batters to end the game.

Jackson's (9-3) 126-pitch effort saw him work a complete game allowing just two runs on six hits. He walked just three batters against his 16 strikeouts.