Sirois jacks walk-off blast in opener as Bruins split

OMAHA, Neb. -- Mathieu Sirois blasted an 0-1 pitch high and deep to left to lift the No. 5-ranked Bellevue University baseball team to a 3-2 victory in the opener before dropping the nightcap to Waldorf University 5-4 in extra innings at Brown Park.

Bellevue moves to 27-6 overall and 13-1 in NSAA play as the Bruins see their six-game win streak halted. Waldorf is now 13-18 overall and 8-6 in the North Star, including an 8-2 mark in their last 10 conference games.

Game One: BU 3, Waldorf 2

Alexandro Celiceo and Ryan Meyer matched each other for eight-plus innings in a classic pitcher's duel with Bellevue eking out a 3-2 win in the bottom of the ninth.

Celiceo logged 8.1 innings of six-hit ball in which he struck out five and held Waldorf to two runs before giving way to the bullpen.

Meyer (2-3) went the distance for Waldorf, matching Celiceo nearly pitch for pitch until allowing the game-winning home run to Mathieu Sirois to lead off the ninth. He scattered eight hits and allowed three runs while striking out four.

Kanta Kobayashi picked where he left off last weekend, climbing the center field wall to rob his third home run in the last four games, as the game stayed scoreless in the early going.

Davis Churchman drilled a home run to lead off the fourth and break an early deadlock. A sac fly from Ryan Webster an inning later doubled the Warrior advantage.

Bellevue answered in the sixth with back-to-back doubles from Kobayashi and Conner Barnett to put runners on second and third. Kobayashi had to hold on Barnett's rip as center fielder Juan Jorge appeared to have made a leaping catch but the ball popped free around the time he hit the ground. Jake Lacey chased in Kobayashi with a sac fly but that was all the Bruins could muster.

Nick Grade led off the seventh with a bunt single and advanced to second on Drew Staley's sac bunt. Sirois followed with an infield single that second baseman Churchman airmailed on an ill-advised attempt to first allowing Grade to score.

After Celiceo hit a batter to put a pair of runners on with one out and the score tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth, Bruin skipper Duane Monlux summoned Teron Williams from the bullpen.

Williams (), who has been the Bruins most consistent reliever this season induced a pair of fly balls to send the game to the home half tied with a chance for the Bruins to walk it off.

Sirois took a first pitch strike before ambushing an 0-1 pitch and driving it an estimated 438 feet for the game-winning blast.

Game Two: Waldorf 5, BU 4 (8 innings)

Friday's second game treated the Brown Park faithful to free baseball and another back-and-forth contest.

Bellevue struck first as Drew Staley singled home Takumi Maeno in the second and a wall-scraping home run off the bat of Logan Grant in the fourth pushed the lead to 2-0.

Juan Jorge doubled home a run to get the Warriors on the board in the fifth before coming home on Davis Churchman's base hit to left tying the game. The next batter, Damien Sanchez, followed with a line drive home run the other way, putting Waldorf on top 4-2.

Bellevue tied the game in the sixth with back-to-back jacks from Anthony Lind and Nick Grade but Jamey Olson, coming on after the second home run, stranded a pair of runners on base.

Marc Luna threw well for Waldorf until the sixth as he produced a final line of four runs allowed on six hits in 5.1 innings of work.

Both sides were retired in order in the seventh setting up extra innings.

Blake Crippen struck out six while being charged with four runs on eight hits over seven innings of work as Parker McMan came on to start the eight for BU.

McMan looked to be cruising, retiring the first two batters he faced before giving up a double to Zach Meyer. Addison Smith followed with a single through the left side to score Meyer as Jake Lacey's throw came in high.

Lind led off the bottom half with a bunt single but was retired as Grade's sacrifice attempt came too hard off the bat to third for a fielder's choice. A flyout and a ground ball ended the Bruin threat as Waldorf held on for the 5-4 win.

Olson (1-3) worked the final 2.2 to pick up his first victory of the year. McMan (3-2) suffered the loss, allowing a run on two hits in his lone inning of work.

Up Next:

The Bruins and Warriors wrap up their four-game series tomorrow from John Stella Field at Brown Park with a twin bill starting at noon.