Bruins sweep Central Christian, 16-2, 7-1

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
MCAC Standings

McPHERSON, Kan. -- The 14th-ranked Bellevue University baseball team used solid pitching and dominant hitting while securing a doubleheader sweep at Central Christian College Friday at Light Capitol Diamond in Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

The Bruins won by scores of 16-2 and 7-1.

Bellevue improved to 29-7 overall and 8-2 in the MCAC. Central Christian fell to 7-32 on the season and 2-12 in league play.

The two teams will conclude the four-game series tomorrow (April 4) with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Udie Grant Field in McPherson. 

Game 1: Bellevue 16, Central Christian 2

Bellevue produced 18 hits and scored four runs in each of the first three innings while cruising to the 16-2 win in the opener. 

Osvaldo Gonzalez led the Bruins at the plate, going 4-for-6 with three doubles and four RBIs. Aaron Brasher went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs as eight Bruins registered at least one hit in the win.  

The first inning was highlighted by a two-run double by Gabriel De La Rosa, a run-scoring single by Brasher and a sacrifice fly to right field by Tyler Blood.

A two-run double by Gonzalez, another RBI single by Brasher and a sacrifice fly to left field by Colton Nash increased the BU lead to 8-0 in the second frame. 

Gonzalez ripped another two-run double in the top of the third and De La Rosa and Blood both drove in runs to give the Bruins a 12-run margin in the third. 

A ground-out RBI by Ross Feeley made it 13-0 in the fourth. 

Trevor Jones drove in Todd Nicks with an RBI double to center field to give the Bruins a 14-0 lead in the fifth inning. 

With runners on the corners, Reynaldo Echenique scored from third as Chance Carney was thrown out at second during a steal attempt.

Consecutive bases-loaded hit batsmen plated two more BU runs to enlarge the Bruin lead to 16-1 in the top of the sixth. 

CCC added a second run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Christian Herbig. 

Steve Sarcone (6-1) picked up his sixth win of the season, scattering four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in seven innings on the mound. 

Game 2: Bellevue 7, Central Christian 1

Brasher and Dan Greco both drove in a pair of runs and Gonzalez launched his seventh home run of the season as the Bruins completed the sweep with the 7-1 victory in the nightcap. 

A two-run single by Brasher and a bases-loaded hit batsmen gave the Bruins a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. 

The Tigers sliced the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Clayton Cramer. 

Neither team scored again until the top of the sixth when the Bruins added a pair of runs on a ground-out RBI by Greco and an RBI triple by Jones to increase the lead to 5-1.

Gonzalez led off the seventh inning with a solo homer to left field and the Bruins scored on a bases-loaded hit batsmen for the fourth time in the twinbill, to push the lead to 7-1. 

Braulio Torres-Perez improved to 5-2 on the season, allowing just two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in seven innings of work.