Bruins sweep DSU to clinch outright Frontier crown

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- A couple big late inning rallied fueled the No. 3-ranked Bellevue University baseball team to sweep Dakota State University in a Frontier Conference double header on Friday afternoon. The Bruins took the opener 9-4 before prevailing 8-7 in the nightcap.

With the sweep, the Bruins have clinched the Frontier Conference Regular Season Championship outright and secured the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Frontier Conference Tournament (Apr. 30-May 3) in Dickinson, N.D.

Bellevue extends their winning streak to 26 games, improving to 38-3 overall on the year and 18-0 in Frontier Conference play while Dakota State falls to 16-24-1 on the season and 8-10-1 in the Frontier.

Game One: Bellevue 9, Dakota State 4

DSU jumped on the board in the top of the first with a safety squeeze from Camaron Haller.

Aiden Barfus singled home a run in the second as the Trojans extended their lead to 2-0 before the Bruin bats woke up.

Anthony Lind singled through the right side to chase in courtesy runner Jackson Polk. The RBI for Lind moved him into fifth on the career RBI list at Bellevue. An RBI-single from Mason Spellecy later in the frame tied the game.

Ayden Makarus put the Bruins in front an inning later with an RBI double and Dylan Holmes singled home a pair for a 5-2 BU lead.

The Bruins broke open the game with a four-run sixth inning, extending their lead to 9-3.

Dakota State got a pair of runs back in the seventh on a sac fly and a wild pitch but Heath Hachkowski finished off the victory for BU.

Oak Held and Carter Claerhout each went 3-for-4 and scored a pair of runs to lead a 12-hit Bruin attack.

Kenji Miller (8-1) worked 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits. He struck out eight against a pair of walks.

Hayden Leighty (1-4) took the loss for the Trojans, allowing five runs on eight hits in four innings of work. He struck out three and walked two.

Game Two: Bellevue 8, Dakota State 7

For the second-straight game, Bellevue broke open a nail-biter with a big inning late, scoring five in the eighth to turn a 4-3 deficit into an 8-4 advantage.

Camaron Haller's eighth home run leading off the fourth opened the scoring. DSU threatened for more in the frame, loading the bases with one out but after a mound visit Bruin starter Reid Madariaga struck out Hunter Den Boer and induced a fly ball from Aiden Barfuss to end the threat.

BU responded in the home half. Back-to-back singles from Carter Claerhout and Ayden Makarus saw Bellevue threaten immediately before a Xavier Lerma double. Claerhout scored on the hit and an error allowed Makarus to come home on the play as well giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead.

Dakota State loaded the bases again two innings later with three-straight one-out singles. Madariaga again struck out Den Boer but this time Barfuss came through with a two-run single to but DSU back in front, 3-2.

Claerhout ripped a double down the line in the seventh to score Jaylan Ruffin, tying the game at 3-3.

Cameron Kittridge quickly returned the lead to the Trojans, hitting his eighth home run to lead off the eighth.

Bellevue responded in the home half. Mason Spellecy was hit by a pitch and advanced to second following an error on a pick off attempt. Consecutive knocks from Ruffin and Nick Gravel put the Bruins front 5-4. BU tacked on three more in the frame to take an 8-4 lead into the ninth.

Brody Burnette came on to work the final frame, eventually securing the victory despite a wind-aided three-run home run to Aidan Marsh, his seventh of the year.

Reliever Alexandre Dionne (2-0) earned the win with 2.1 innings of relief, allowing a run on four hits.

Braylon Bear (0-4) suffered the loss for Dakota State, allowing three runs in just 1.1 innings of relief work.

Top Performers

Bellevue University         

Carter Claerhout: 7-9, double, RBI, 4 runs
Ayden Makarus: 3-5, double, 2 RBI, 3 runs
Oak Held: 3-8, 3 runs

Dakota State University

Cameron Kittridge: 5-7, HR (8), one, 4 runs
Aiden Barfuss: 5-7, 3 RBI, run
Connor Raney: 4-8, double, 2 runs

Up Next:

The Bruins and Trojans wrap up their four-game set tomorrow at with another double header scheduled for 1 p.m. Senior Day ceremonies, honoring BU's 11-member senior class, will take place after the conclusion of the twin bill.