Late power surge has Bruins one win from World Series

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BELLEVUE, Neb. -- A pair of three-run home runs from Brenton Davis and Conner Barnett backed a sixth-straight complete game by a Bruin starter as the top-seeded and No. 6-ranked Bellevue University baseball team defeated third-seeded Tabor College 7-2 in NAIA Opening Round action on Tuesday evening at Don Roddy Field.

With their eighth-straight victory, Bellevue improves to 47-10 on the season on advances to the Opening Round Championship Game(s) for the seventh time in the past eight NAIA National Tournaments (2014-17, 2019, 2021-22).

Judson will battle Concordia (Neb.) at 11 a.m. Wednesday morning in an elimination contest. Tabor (38-18-1) will take on the winner of that game at 2:30 p.m.

The Bruins face the winner of tomorrow's second game. If Tabor wins, the first championship game will be played tomorrow at 6 p.m. with the "If Necessary" game taking place Thursday at its originally scheduled time of noon. If Concordia or Judson reach the championship round, the first championship game will be played Thursday at 11 a.m. with the "If Necessary" game to follow 50 minutes later.

Bellevue was no-hit until Conner Barnett's two-out double in the sixth but he was stranded there when Tabor starter Matt Fred struck out Alec Ackerman to end the frame.

The game remained scoreless until a solo home run to left field by Leo Aguilar gave the Bluejays a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Aguilar's homer was his 19th of the season and it also snapped BU's scoreless streak at 39.2 innings. Tabor added a second run in the sixth when Miguel Ramos drove in Kelsey Weems, Jr. with an RBI single to left field.  

The Bruins responded in the top of the seventh with an RBI single up the middle by Andrew Ishii that scored Alex Stufft to slice the TC lead to 2-1. 

After Kanta Kobayashi and Alec Ackerman produced singles to the outfield in the top of the eighth frame, Brenton Davis blasted a three-run homer to right-center field to give the Bruins a 4-2 advantage and chase Fred from the game. Fred (6-3) allowed four runs - three earned - on six hits 7.1 innings while striking out seven and issuing just one walk.

Conner Barnett launched a 3-run homer to left field in the top of the ninth frame to increase the BU cushion to five runs at 7-2. The home run by Barnett was the 100th of the season by Bruin batters, the most since the 2004 team hit 101.

Elijah Johnson struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth inning and retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to earn his 11th win of the season. Johnson (11-2) tallied nine punch outs on the night to run his season total to 146, the second most in a single-season by a Bruin pitcher and tops in the NAIA this season.

Updated Schedule

* If Tabor wins Game 7

Wednesday, May 18:
Game 6: Judson vs. Concordia, 11 a.m.
Game 7: Tabor vs. Game 6 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 8: Bellevue vs. Tabor, 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 19:
Game 9: Bellevue vs. Tabor, noon (If Necessary)

* If Tabor does not win Game 7

Wednesday, May 18:
Game 6: Judson vs. Concordia, 11 a.m.
Game 7: Tabor vs. Game 6 Winner, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 19:
Game 8: Bellevue vs. Game 7 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 9: Bellevue vs. Game 7 Winner, 2:30 p.m. (If Necessary)