Bruins complete series sweep with a pair of wins over BCU

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. -- The No. 24-ranked Bellevue University baseball team completed a three-game non-conference series sweep over Briar Cliff University, taking down the Chargers on Sunday 9-3 and 11-2 at John Stella Field in Brown Park. 

With the two victories, BU improved to 8-3 on the season. The Chargers fell to 1-5 overall.  

BU registered 43 hits in the three victories in the weekend series. 

The Bruins will head to Florida for their annual spring trip where BU will play nine games from March 5-12 in the Sunshine State. 

Game 1: Bellevue 9, Briar Cliff 3

The Bruins pounded out 18 hits, including four from Alex Stufft and three each from Conner Barnett, Kanta Kobayashi, and Drew Staley en route to the 9-3 victory in the opener. Barnett drove in three runs, while Stufft went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, a double, and a home run.  

The Bruins raced out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. BU started the contest with back-to-back doubles by Kobayashi and Barnett to give the Bruins a 1-0 advantage. Barnett stole third and headed home on a throwing error by Charger catcher Jake Allen to push the lead to 2-0. After Alec Ackerman was walked, cleanup hitter Stufft's two-run blast over the left-field fence made it 4-0. 

The Chargers sliced the lead to 4-1 in the top of the third on a solo homer to center field by Trey Rogers. 

Three consecutive singles including an RBI poke to center field by Brenton Davis moved the advantage to 5-1 in the bottom of the third.

A fielder's choice RBI by Mike Anthony brought BCU to within three runs at 5-2 in the top of the fourth frame. 

The Bruins responded in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs, on a fielder's choice RBI by Tradd Richardson and on a fielding error by BCU third baseman Quentin Evers that allowed Stufft to score from third, pushing the margin to 7-2.

An RBI single to right field by Barnett extended the BU lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth.

The Chargers got one run back in the top of the sixth, scoring on an RBI single to left field by Walter Hunt, to make it 8-3. 

Barnett drove in Kobayashi with an RBI single to center field to increase the cushion to 9-3 in the bottom of the seventh. 

BCU loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth, but reliever McGrane Pledger struck out Matthew Hmielewski to end the Charger threat. 

Pledger retired the side in the top of the ninth including two strikeouts to earn the save. 

Charlie Patterson (3-0) garnered the victory, scattering seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings on the mound. Pledger allowed just three hits with two walks and six strikeouts in the final 3.2 innings of work.  

Game 2: Bellevue 11, Briar Cliff 2

The Bruins got out of the gates quickly, blasting four home runs in the first three innings en route to the 11-2 victory in the nightcap. 

BU remained hot at the plate, registering 14 hits in the win, while limiting the Chargers to just three. 

Back-to-back home runs by Barnett and Ackerman gave BU an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. 

The Bruins opened the second frame with a solo homer by Staley to produce a 3-0 advantage.

Barnett drove in Kobayashi with an RBI single to right field and Ackerman's two-run homer to right-center field increased the lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the third. 

Bellevue batted around the lineup in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five runs highlighted by a two-run single to right field Zach Diehl, an RBI single to center field by Brennan Cascio, and an infield single RBI by Stufft, pushing the lead to 11-0.

The Chargers avoided the shutout on Easton Cone's two-run single to left field in the top of the seventh inning, making the final, 11-2. 

Blake Crippen (2-1) earned the win, allowing no runs on just two hits with one walk and two strikeouts in six innings of work. 

Ackerman finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two home runs. Barnett was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a double.