Bellevue stays unbeaten in NSAA play

OMAHA, Neb. -- Bruin hitters combined for 30 hits, including 12 extra-base knocks, as the No. 15 Bellevue University baseball team took both ends of a North Star Athletic Association double-header from Dickinson State University on Wednesday.

Bellevue rallied for a 9-6 win in the opener before leaving no doubt with a 15-3 10-inning victory on the back end to improve to 18-9 overall and 6-0 in league play. Dickinson State slides to 3-22 on the year and 1-5 in NSAA action.

Game One: BU 9, DSU 6

Trailing 6-5 entering the sixth, Bellevue scored four runs over the final two innings to rally for a 9-6 win.

The Bruins jumped on the board first with a two-run double off the bat of Brendan Luther in the first.

Dickinson State answered with three runs in the home half of the second and Keanu Calamayan put the Blue Hawks in front 4-2 with a solo shot leading off the third.

The score remained until the fifth when Luther delivered his second two-run double of the ball game and later came home to score on CJ Townsend's suicide squeeze.

Wyatt Wilharm immediately put Dickinson State back on top with a two-run home run in the bottom of the innings. Alberto Nieto led off the frame with a double before Wilharm chased starter Dustin Schorie from the contest.

Jake Lacey homered for the Bruins leading off the sixth to tie the game.

Luther drew a leadoff walk to open the seventh. With runners on the corners, Luther scored when _ pickoff attempt sailed into the right field corner and Takumi Maeno advanced to third. Anthony Lind reached on a sac bunt that scored Maeno and promptly stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on Logan Grant's single through the hole on the right side.

Jace Wessels (2-0), who came on for Schorie, struck out three across three perfect innings of relief work to earn the win.

Neither starter factored in the decision.

Alex Stephens (0-2) took the loss for the Blue Hawks, surrendering four runs in 1.2 innings of work out of the bullpen.

Game Two: BU 15, DSU 3

Bellevue pounded out eight extra-base hits in game two en route to scoring 15 runs.

Each team scored three in the first but the Bruins had their way from there.

Brady Toth (3-2) shook off the early trouble, allowing just one hit over the next five innings to register a quality start.

Jayden Vinson worked a 1-2-3 seventh to nail down the victory.

Steven Elsner put the Bruins on the board with a three-run homer in the first.

Dickinson State answered with three runs in the bottom half, scoring on a single by Keanu Calamayan and a two-run double off the bat of Kaiden Reeve.

Alec Ackerman and Brendan Luther also homered in the victory with each going 4-for-4 at the dish.

Cooper Van Luchene (1-4) departed after just two-plus innings, having allowed seven runs on seven hits with three leaving the park.

Bellevue scored multiple runs in each of the first five innings to establish a 15-3 lead which turned into the final score.

Up Next:

The Bruins and Blue Hawks wrap up their series tomorrow with another 10 a.m. twin-bill at John Stella Field at Brown Park.