Miscues costly as Drovers take series from Bruins

CHICKASHA, Okla. -- The Bellevue University baseball team was unable to overcome some uncharacteristic defense as the Bruins committed 11 errors to drop both ends of a double-header to the University of Science & Arts.

After losing the series opener yesterday, Science & Arts bounced back with a pair of wins to improve to 7-4. Bellevue falls to 4-6 on the season.

Game One: Science & Arts 7, Bellevue 5

A pair of Bruin errors led to five unearned runs in the second and third innings as Bellevue dropped the first game of Saturday's double-header 7-5.

Elijah Bear put the Bruins on the board first, delivering a two-out single to score Jake Lacey in the first.

Science & Arts saw their first five batters of the reach in the second, scoring three before Brock Townsend induced a ground ball from leadoff hitter Gage Ninness that the BU defense turned into a double play. A two-out walk to Gabriel Arroyo put runners on the corners but Townsend escaped further harm.

Bellevue answered back with Nick Grade singling home courtesy runner Takumi Maeno before scoring himself on a sac fly off the bat of Anthony Lind.

Ben Lawson cracked a two-out triple to chase Townsend and score a pair of runs for the Drovers for a 6-3 lead.

The Bruins threatened in the fifth, putting runners at the corners with two outs but pinch hitter Nicholas Johnstone grounded out to end the threat.

Brendan Luther delivered a sac fly and Logan Grant singled home a run in the sixth and Bellevue again threatened with a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs but were unable to add on.

The Drovers scratched across an insurance run in the sixth courtesy of a Ninness RBI-double.

Down to their last out, Bellevue got a two-out double from Tony Monroe and put runners on the corners following a line drive from Lacey but Luther flew out to center to end the ballgame.

Townsend (0-2) took the loss. Despite allowing just one earned run, he was tagged for seven hits in 2.2 innings.

Starter Brian Ereu (3-0) picked up the win for the Drovers with 4.2 innings of work. He allowed three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four.

Alden Norquist worked a scoreless seventh to lock down his first save.

Gavin Wuschke worked 3.1 innings of relief, limiting Science & Arts to a run on two hits to keep the Bruins close.

Game Two: Science & Arts 15, Bellevue 10

Jake Lacey and Steven Elsner each homered twice as Bellevue built an 8-6 lead after five innings of play.

Lacey put the Bruins on the board with a solo shot to lead off the game and added a three-run blast following a controversial interference call in the fifth.

Elsner ripped a two-run shot in the second and a solo bomb in the fifth as BU and the Drovers traded blows until Lacey put the Bruins ahead.

Eight-straight runners reached base for Science & Arts in the sixth as S&A benefitted from five Bellevue errors in the inning to score nine times for a 15-8 lead.

Scott Hansen tripled home a run in the seventh and Nick Gravel delivered a sac fly in the ninth to provide the final margin.

Brady Toth (0-2) took the loss for the Bruins, who committed nine errors in the game.

R Schmidt (1-1) earned the win in relief for S&A.

Up Next:

Bellevue travels to Sioux City, Iowa next weekend for a three-game set with Briar Cliff University. The Bruins and Chargers are scheduled for a noon twin-bill on Saturday, Feb. 24 and a noon matinee on Sunday, Feb. 25 to wrap up the series.