Bats bounce back in 9-4 win over Mount Marty

LAKELAND, Fla. -- CJ Townsend drove in three runs while Steven Elsner and Logan Grant each homered to lead the No. 7 Bellevue University Baseball team to a 9-4 win over Mount Marty University on Friday afternoon in non-conference action at Ted A. Broer Stadium.

With wins in five of their last six, Bellevue improves to 11-8 while Mount Marty slides to 14-7.

Aidan Chang jump-started the offense as he led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run just out of the reach of Logan Grant in right-center to give the Lancers a 1-0 lead.

Bellevue responded in the second with CJ Townsend rapping a two-out single to left-center to score Nick Grade. However, Mount Marty answered in the bottom half with Garrett Damico singling home pinch-runner William Johnson.

The score remained 2-1 into the fourth until CJ Townsend beat out a double play to chase home Grade again. Jake Lacey followed up with an RBI-double that saw a second run score on a throwing error.

It was the first of two doubles for Lacey who notched a three-hit game and drove in two.

Home runs by Steven Elsner (solo) and Logan Grant (two-run) in the fifth and sixth, respectfully, extended the Bruin lead to 7-2.

Lancer starter Jared Miller departed after allowing Elsner's home run and walking Brendan Luther in the fifth. In taking the loss, Miller (1-1) allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks across four-plus innings.

Riley Bachman doubled home Will Gardner and Bodi Wallar chased home another with a bouncing ball to first as Mount Marty pulled within 7-4 in the sixth.

Gavin Wuschke (2-0) picked up the win, going six strong innings. He struck out five against one walk and allowed four runs on six hits.

Wuschke was replaced by Parker McMan to begin the seventh who worked around a one-out single and passed ball to maintain the BU lead.

Brock Townsend worked an efficient, 1-2-3 eighth to bring the Bruin bats up in the ninth.

CJ Townsend scored Anthony Lind with a sac fly before coming around on Lacey's second double of the afternoon to provide some insurance in the form of a 9-4 margin.

Three of the first four batters reached against Teron Williams in the bottom of the ninth as the Lancers loaded the bases but Williams induced Joe Gokie to ground into a double play to end the game.

The Bruins close out their Florida Trip tomorrow at noon (ET) in a match-up against No. 1-ranked Southeastern University (18-2).