Bruins outlast ACU in slugfest to open 2024 campaign

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Nick Grade hit a go-ahead home run leading off the eighth to lead the No. 7 Bellevue University baseball team past Arizona Christian University 13-10 in the first game of the NAIA Ball East-West Challenge.

BU wins their season opener for the fourth-straight year while the Firebirds, receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Top 25, drop to 2-2.

Marques Titialii opened the scoring for ACU with his second home run of the season, a solo blast to left center in the home half of the first.

Bellevue answered back with five runs in the second. Tradd Richardson and Nick Gravel delivered back-to-back RBI-singles with one out before Brendan Luther chased home both with a three-run shot to center field. That was enough to chase ACU starter Payton Robertson.

Bruin starter Blake Crippen delivered a shutout inning after the outpouring of runs in the second, striking out the side in the home half of the second.

After a 1-2-3 top of the third, the Firestorm got a run back when Jaylen Edmonds scored on a wild pitch with one out in the bottom of the inning. Crippen avoided further damage by inducing a ground ball and striking out his fifth batter of the game to end the frame.

Bellevue answered with a pair of runs in the fourth. Alec Ackerman singled home Anthony Lind with two outs before coming home when Logan Grant reached on a high throw after a strikeout, ACU's fourth error of the game.

Arizona Christian loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with nobody out but squandered the chance at a big inning. Crippen induced a double play off the bat of Sean Garcia, worked around a walk to Kane Kiaunis, and got a groundout off the bat of Edmonds to limit the Firebirds to just one run and BU led 7-3 after four.

The back-and-forth scoring continued in the fifth as Gravel delivered a sac fly to score Bryce Zimmerer for BU and Titialii knocked home a Firebird run with a single to right field.

Crippen departed with two outs in the fifth, giving way to Brody Burnette who struck out Trey Collins to end the inning with BU leading 8-4.

Bellevue loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth to prompt a fourth ACU pitching change. Opening Day starter Eli Elliott came on in relief but issued a pair of walks as the Bruins pushed the lead to 10-4.

Arizona Christian got a run back in the bottom of the sixth but their bid for more ended when courtesy runner Andrew Ivy was thrown out stealing second to end the inning, who had been a perfect 17-for-17 in his career.

The Firebirds posted a five-run inning of their own in the seventh with Edmonds singling home a pair of runs to tie things up.

Nick Grade quickly put the Bruins back on top in the eighth with a leadoff home run to left. Jake Lacey followed with a base hit and came around to score two batters later on a base hit from Gravel.

Vinson worked around a two-out double and walk in the bottom of the eighth, getting Deshon Thomas to ground out to Luther at short, sending the game to the ninth with Bellevue leading 12-10.

Grant ripped a solo shot to center in the ninth to extend the Bruin lead to 13-10.

Vinson recorded the first out of the ninth before giving way to closer Cade Herrmann who retired both batters he faced, striking out Edmonds to end the game, for his first save.

Robertson (0-1) took the loss on the hill after allowing five runs, four earned, on three hits and a pair of walks in two innings of work

Vinson (1-0) picked up the win with two innings of effective relief work.

Following a schedule change, announced earlier today, BU will now play a pair of games tomorrow. The Bruins open with #3 Lewis-Clark State (0-0) at 1:30 p.m. before facing #17 Vanguard (2-1) at 4:45 p.m.