BU captures Warner Tournament title with two wins over Saints

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Warner Tournament Website

LAKE WALES, Fla. -- The 14th-ranked Bellevue University baseball team captured its second-straight Warner University Tournament title after posting a pair of wins over Siena Heights University Saturday afternoon. 

The Bruins took the opener, 9-6, before winning the championship game, 5-0. Senior Kyle Kinman was named the tournament's MVP. 

Bellevue has now won eight of the its last 10 games and improved to 10-5-2, while Siena Heights slipped to 6-6 overall.

The Bruins will travel to Parkville, Mo. for a single nine-inning nonconference contest at Park University (1-6) on Tuesday, March 11. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Comfort Field.

Bellevue 9, Siena Heights 6

Despite being outhit 10-8, the Bruins defeated Siena Heights, 9-6, to advance to the championship game.

BU used a pair of four-run innings to push past the Saints. 

SHU took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, scoring on a sacrifice fly to right field by Logan Curtis and an RBI single by Dennis Sharp. 

The Bruins quickly responded in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs, highlighted by a two-run single by Mark Medalia and a sacrifice fly to center field by Colby Fitzgerald that scored Aaron Brasher from third.

The Saints regained the lead in the top of the second, scoring on RBI singles by Eric Henderson and Mike Lollo and a two-run double by Joe Williams, forcing the replacement of BU starting right-handed pitcher Rory Young by senior lefty Kyle Bixler.  

Bellevue took the lead for good in the bottom of the third, adding four runs, highlighted by an RBI single by Medalia and a two-run triple by Bryce Kelly. Kelly later scored on a passed ball giving BU an 8-6 advantage.

The Bruins added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on Zack Clark's sacrifice fly to center field that plated Tyler Blood who led off the inning with a double and was moved to third on a single by Kelly. 

Bixler (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, after not allowing a run and giving up just four hits, while striking out two in 5 2/3 innings on the mound. 

Bellevue 5, Siena Heights 0

The Bruins posted their second victory of the day over SHU to win back-to-back Warner Tournament titles, 5-0.

Galli Cribbs went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases and Kinman and Kelly added two hits apiece. 

Sean Felt made his first career start as a Bruin and improved to 2-0 on the season. Felt tossed a two-hitter and struck out three in the complete game win.

Medalia led the second inning off with a walk and came around to score on Brasher's RBI single to left field for the early 1-0 lead.

 Clark reached base on a Saints throwing error and Kinman followed with a two-run home run. After a double by Cribbs, the Bruins took a 4-0 lead in the bottom half of the third on a Nate Mullins single.

The Bruins added to their lead in the fifth on Fitzgerald's single to take a five-run advantage.

Travis Mielcarek took the loss for SHU and fell to 0-1. Mielcarek gave up five runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings pitched.

BU outhit the Saints by eight, 10-2.