Bruins split with Ozarks; Kinman sets BU record with 22 strikeouts

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | MCAC Standings

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- The Bellevue University baseball team split with College of the Ozarks Saturday afternoon at Coach Bob Smith Field in Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

The Bruins took the opener, 6-2, but fell in the final game of the series, 5-4.

Bellevue, ranked No. 14 in the NAIA, is now 13-6-2 overall and 3-1 in league play while Ozarks moved to 12-12 and 1-3 in the MCAC.

The Bruins will travel to Briar Cliff University (7-11) on Tuesday, March 18 for a single nine-inning nonconference game. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m. at Bishop Mueller Field.

Bellevue 6, College of the Ozarks 2

Kyle Kinman struck out a school record 22 batters and added two hits, two RBIs and one stolen base to lead the Bruins to a 6-2 win in game one.

Kinman's 22 strikeouts is also the most in a game this season in the NAIA. Chris Pike of Oklahoma City University tallied 18 on March 7.

Cody Pentecost's RBI hit scored Cody Hull who led the third inning off with a single to give the Bobcats their first lead of the weekend series.

The Bruins scored three runs on three hits in the seventh to take a 3-1 advantage. Bryce Kelly registered a sacrifice fly to left field and following an error by COFO starting pitcher Timmy Townsend extended the inning, Kinman hit two-out two-run single.

COFO answered back in the bottom half of the seventh inning, scoring on a Bruin error, to pull within one run, 3-2.

Colby Fitzgerald added to BU's lead with an RBI groundout in the eighth and the Bruins scored on an error and sacrifice bunt to post the four-run conference road win.

Kinman improved to 3-1 after his record-setting performance. He gave up two runs on four hits without a walk in the complete game.

Townsend (2-2) gave up seven hits with four strikeouts in seven innings of work. Only one of his three runs were earned.

College of the Ozarks 5, Bellevue 4

All four COFO batters reached base capped off by a bases-loaded walk in the final inning to lift the Bobcats to a 5-4 win in the final game of the weekend series.

After back-to-back walks in the second inning, Aaron Brasher recorded an RBI single to give the Bruins an early 1-0 lead.

Landon Teal recorded an RBI groundout and Pentecost registered a two-run double to give COFO a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second.

The Bruins stole two bases and used RBI hits by Galli Cribbs and Nate Mullins to tie the game at 3-3 in the third.

COFO once again answered with a run of its own in the home half of the third on an RBI single by Hull to go ahead by one, 4-3. BU starting pitcher Sean Felt got out of a bases-loaded jam with an inning ending double play.

The Bruins took advantage of a passed ball and an error, all with two outs, to tie the game at 4-4 in the seventh, but the Bobcats won the final game of the series on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning.

Steve Sarcone suffered the loss and fell to 1-2 after pitching three innings and recording five strikeouts out of the BU bullpen.

After blowing a save opportunity, Landon Jarrett (1-0) picked up his first win of the year.