Sarcone, Nicks propel Bruins to sweep over Waldorf, 7-0, 5-1
Sarcone fans 17 in opener ... Nicks collects six hits on the day ...
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
MCAC Standings
FOREST CITY, Iowa -- The 17th-ranked Bellevue University baseball team battled difficult weather conditions to produce a doubleheader sweep over Waldorf College Friday afternoon in Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference action. Bellevue won by scores of 7-0 and 5-1.
The twinbill was pushed back three hours due to wet and cold field conditions.
Bellevue improved to 38-12 overall and 16-6 in the MCAC. Waldorf fell to 13-28 on the season and 4-18 in league play.
The two teams will complete the four-game series with a noon doubleheader tomorrow (April 25) in Forest City.
Game 1: Bellevue 7, Waldorf 0
The Bruins scored four runs in the third inning and outhit Waldorf, 16-3 as BU shut out the Warriors, 7-0, in the opener. Todd Nicks went 5-for-5 at the plate and scored three runs to lead the Bruin offense and Steve Sarcone (8-1) struck out a career-high 17 batters while recording the complete-game shutout.
Consecutive doubles by Nicks and Tyler Blood gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. The Bruins added four in the third on RBI doubles by Colton Nash, Aaron Brasher and Nicks and a run-scoring single by Blood.
Osvaldo Gonzalez drove in Ross Feeley with a single to left field to make it 6-0 in the top of the sixth frame. The Bruins added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with an RBI double by Kevin Rodriguez that plated Nicks.
Game 2: Bellevue 5, Waldorf 1
Waldorf gained a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second before the Bruins plated four runs in the top of the fourth on a two-run double by Gabriel DeLaRosa, an RBI single by Rodriguez and off a Warrior passed ball.
The Bruins scored one run in the top of the sixth on another one-run single by Rodriguez.
Rodriguez finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Gonzalez also produced two hits in the win.
Braulio Torres-Perez (6-4) earned the win, scattering eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven innings on the mound.