BU slugs way past CUNE before falling to OCU

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- On the strength of three home runs the No. 7 Bellevue University baseball team defeated (RV) Concordia University 12-7 before dropping a 7-5 affair at (RV) Oklahoma City University on Friday.

With the split, Bellevue moves to 2-4 on the young season. OCU, with a pair of wins on the day remains unbeaten, improving to 8-0.

Concordia, who dropped a 6-5 decision to OCU earlier in the day, falls to 0-2 on the year.

Bellevue 12, Concordia 7

Bellevue's first four batters all reached safely as the Bruins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a base hit by Logan Grant and sac fly off the bat of Nick Grade.

Grade drove in his second run of the game in the third, scoring Brendan Luther who led off the inning with a double to center.

The Bulldogs answered with a home from Bradley Hallock in the home half of the third to cut the deficit to 3-2. Tanner Tompkins doubled leading off the frame, the first hit off Bruin starter Dustin Schorie, and came around to score a batter later on Hallock's shot to left.

Schorie worked 4.1 for Bellevue, allowing five runs on four and four walks while striking out three.

Jake Lacey responded for Bellevue with a two-run homer of his own in the fourth.

CUNE countered with two more in the fourth courtesy of a Jaydan Adams double and Tompkins sac fly before tying the game on a Jaidan Quinn solo home run in the fifth.

The home run chased Schorie and on came Parker McMan from the bullpen. McMan struck out both batters he faced to end the inning and bring the Bellevue bats back to the dish.

Grade worked a two-out walk with the bases loaded to put BU back in front before Elijah Bear wore a pitch for a 7-5 Bruin advantage.

Home runs off the bats of Anthony Lind and Alec Ackerman in the seventh gave the Bruins some insurance in the form of a seven-run cushion.

Concordia made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out a scoring a pair of runs before Cade Herrmann finally slammed the door with a strikeout of Matthew Rhoades to end the game.

McMan (1-1) was credited the win with his two innings of relief work while Ernie Snyder (0-1) took the loss for CUNE, yielding a pair of runs in just two-thirds of an inning.

Blake Benson struck out five but was tagged for five runs on nine hits in 4.2.

Oklahoma City 7, Bellevue 5

Darian Duhon put the Stars on the board first with a solo shot to left center but the OCU advantage was short-lived as the Bruins responded with three runs in the second. Tyler Monroe delivered a two-run single ahead of Bryce Zimmerer's infield single that plated another.

Nick Grade singled home Alec Ackerman in the third for a 4-1 Bruin advantage but Oklahoma City answered with a four-run inning. Duhon tripled home a run before scoring on a base hit by Aiden Van Rensum. Trent Kiraly followed with a two-run homer to left center to put the Stars back in front.

Two of the first three batters reached in the fourth to spell the end of the day for OCU's Connor Ferguson. Logan Grant greeted reliever Cade Kelsey by singling up the middle to tie things back up, plating Anthony Lind who reached on an error leading off the inning.

Van Rensum and Tristan Williams reestablished the Oklahoma City lead with run-scoring singles in the fourth with Bruin starter Brock Townsend getting chased after allowing a leadoff double in the inning.

Townsend worked four innings before yielding to Gavin Wuschke out of the bullpen. He allowed six runs on six hits and struck out a pair.

Bellevue threated in the sixth, as Lind drew a free pass leading off and Grant reached on a two-out walk but Kelsey dialed up a strikeout to keep OCU in front 7-5.

Wuschke struck out the side in the sixth to get the Bruins bats back up trailing by just two runs against OCU closer Chad Pike.

Elijah Bear reached via error to begin the inning but Pike struck out Tyler Monroe and induced a rare double play off the bat of Jake Lacey to close out his third save for the Stars.

Kelsey (1-0) earned the win for Oklahoma City with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief while Townsend (0-1) took the loss for BU.

Up Next:

Bellevue wraps up the weekend tomorrow with a single, nine-inning game against the Stars with first pitch set for 11 a.m. from Denney Crabaugh Field at Jim Wade Stadium.