Sweet 16: Bruins down OKC to reach Avista NAIA World Series

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Three big innings early backed a quality start from Alexandro Celiceo as the top-seeded Bellevue University baseball team completed a clean sweep of the NAIA Opening Round Bellevue Bracket by defeating Oklahoma City University 13-3 on Wednesday evening to qualify for the 66^th Avista NAIA World Series.

Bellevue 13, Oklahoma City 3

Jake Lacey staked the Bruins to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, doubling to left to chase in Mathieu Sirois whose one-out single started a three-run inning. Tradd Richardson followed with a two-run single down the line.

Bruin starter Alexandro Celiceo worked around a lead-off double to get the BU back up in the third where Sirois and Anthony Lind delivered back-to-back two-out singles to score two more runs.

A wild pitch scored Takumi Maeno before Drew Staley singled home a pair in the fourth as Bellevue stretched the lead to 8-0.

CJ Townsend singled home another two-out run in the fifth for a 9-0 Bellevue lead and Celiceo was rolling, retiring 10-straight until allowing just a solo home run to Barrett Daniel in the bottom of the fifth.

Celiceo fed (10-1) Oklahoma City crumbs across seven innings of work. The senior struck out five Stars while scattering three hits in a quality start.

Neither team struck again until Nick Grade singled home Kobayashi to kick off a four-run eighth. Mathieu Sirois put an exclamation point on the victory with his three-run homer in the eighth that traveled an estimated 490 feet, across Lincoln Road and the front yard of a local resident.

Kenji Miller came on to pitch the last two innings to nail down the victory. He allowed a two-run home run to Reese Ratchford in the eighth to account for the final margin.

OCU rolled through six pitchers with starter Isaac Horstman (0-3) taking the loss. He allowed four earned runs (six total) and seven hits in three-plus innings or work.

Up Next:

Bellevue travels to Lewiston, Idaho for next week's Avista NAIA World Series. The Bruins will learn their first round opponent and game time once all 10 Opening Round sites conclude play tomorrow.

By the Numbers:

• Bellevue qualifies for the Avista NAIA World Series for the 16^th time in program history
• The 16 Avista NAIA World Series Appearances since 1995 are the most by non-hosts
• BU reaches the Avista NAIA World Series in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2006-08
• Bellevue has now qualified for three of the last four Avista NAIA World Series
• The Bruins have qualified for four Avista NAIA World Series under coach Duane Monlux, all coming within the past seven seasons
• The 13 runs scored by the Bruins are the most in an NAIA Opening Round game since putting up 18 against Madonna in 2005
• Bellevue is the first team to win multiple NAIA Opening Round Bellevue Bracket titles
• BU improves to 13-7 when hosting Opening Round games
• The Bruins finish the year 32-4 at home; the 32 wins being a program single-season record, eclipsing the mark set by the 2004 team (30-3)
• Alexandro Celiceo moves into a tie atop the program leaderboard with his 24^th career pitching victory, matching the mark set by Jerry Wellwood (1997-00)