Bruin baseball splits at Viterbo
Bruins suffer first conference loss ... BU rebounds with 5-1 win in the nightcap.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
NSAA Standings
LaCROSSE, Wis. -- The third-ranked Bellevue University baseball team split a pair of North Star Athletic Association games Saturday at Viterbo, falling 6-4 in the opener, before rebounding with a 5-1 win in the nightcap.
The loss in the first game snapped the Bruins' five-game win streak and was also BU's first conference loss of the season.
The Bruins moved to 29-6 on the season and 7-1 in the NSAA. Viterbo is now 7-21 overall and 4-6 in league play.
The two teams will conclude the four-game series on Sunday with a noon doubleheader.
Game 1: Viterbo 6, Bellevue 4
Despite outhitting the V-Hawks, 11-4, the Bruins suffered a 6-4 loss in the opener following a late grand slam by Viterbo.
The V-Hawks scored on a passed ball to take an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Bruins tied it up in the top of the third when Trevor Jones scored following a dropped fly ball by Viterbo's Angel Ramos.
Viterbo regained the lead in the bottom half of the third on a solo homer by Ramos.
A two-run single by Jake Browne and an RBI single by Joe Moran gave BU its first lead at 4-2 in top of the fifth frame.
Viterbo recaptured the lead at 6-4 with a two-out grand slam by Brandon Alvarez in the bottom of the seventh.
The Bruins did not reach base in the final two innings as Viterbo secured the 6-4 upset win.
Ben McKendall (7-1) was charged with his first loss of the season, scattering four hits with 11 strikeouts and three walks while giving up just one earned run as the Bruins were plagued with three errors in the loss.
Game 2: Bellevue 5, Viterbo 1
The Bruins used the solid pitching of Todd Nicks and outhit Viterbo, 10-2, en route to the 5-1 win in the nightcap.
Bellevue took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jones led off the game with a double to right center and was driven in by Ross Feeley on an RBI single to right center.
After Kevin Rodriguez led off the third with a double, the Bruins took a 2-0 lead when Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch.
An RBI single by Adam Lowe sliced the BU lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third.
Feeley scored on a passed ball to increase the Bruin advantage to 3-1 in the fifth frame.
An RBI single by Joe Mancuso in the top of the sixth gave BU a 4-1 lead.
BU added an insurance run in the top of the seventh with a one-run single to right field by Derik Bontempo, to push the margin to 5-1.
Nicks improved to 6-1 on the season, allowing just two hits, while striking out seven and walking two in seven innings of work.
