Bats back Bruins in 13-1 win over Friends

CHICKASHA, Okla. -- Kanta Kobayashi and Jake Lacey broke open a two-run game with a pair of two-run shots in the fourth to power the No. 5-ranked Bellevue University baseball team to a 13-1 victory over Friends University on Saturday afternoon at Bill Smith Ballpark.

The Bruins continue their strong start to the season, improving to 4-0, having allowed just three runs in their last three ballgames. Friends falls to 4-6, suffering their fourth-straight defeat.

Brendan Luther finished 4-of-5 with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored. Kobayashi (2-5, 2 RBI), Eric Anderson (2-3, RBI), and Anthony Lind (2-3, 2B, RBI, 3 runs scored) both registered multi-hit games.

Alexandro Celiceo (2-0) threw six quality innings for BU. After allowing a run in the top of the first, he settled down to limit Friends to just three hits the rest of the way while striking out five.

Caleb Coats put the Falcons on the board with a one-out single to plate Niquan Benjamin from third. Celiceo escaped further damage, inducing a ground ball double play off the bat of Pablo Oden.

Bellevue tied things off starter Matthew Benton in the home half of the second. Eric Anderson led off the inning with a base hit and Takumi Maeno took third on a failed pickoff attempt before coming home on Cade Sakamoto's sac fly.

The Bruins took the lead with a pair of runs in the third. Luther raced home on a passed ball before Anderson reached on an error that allowed Logan Grant to trot home from third.

Four of the first five batters reached in the fourth. Lind singled to open up the inning and found himself at third courtesy of a passed ball and grounder before Kobayashi hit the first of two two-run homers. That prompted a call to the bullpen for Shade Beck. Luther greeted him with a double and Lacey followed with a two-run blast of his own. BU tacked on one more in the inning with Maeno scoring on yet another passed ball.

Luther singled home Lind and Lacey drove home Drew Staley with a sac fly for two more Bruin runs in the fifth.

Three more runs came across in the sixth as Bellevue found themselves in control headed to the seventh. Lind doubled home Sakamoto before himself scoring on a passed ball while Luther singled home Staley for a 13-1 BU lead.

Teron Williams came on in relief of Celiceo and worked a perfect ninth that included a punch-out to finish off the victory.

Benton (0-2) took the loss for Friends after being tagged for five runs (four earned) on six hits and a walk in 3.1 innings.

Friends pitching combined to allow eight free base-runners (5 walks, 3 hit batters) and the defense made three errors to go along with five passed balls.

Coats finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, one of the lone bright spots for Friends.

Bellevue is back in action tomorrow playing a double-header against #19 Science & Arts with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. in move favorable forecasted conditions.