Elsner slugs BU past Midland in non-conference action
Steven Elsner belted a three-run home run to break a ninth inning tie and lift the No. 13 Bellevue University baseball to a 13-10 victory over Midland University in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon at Moller Field.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
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2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 14 | 2 |
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2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 4 |
FREMONT, Neb. -- Steven Elsner belted a three-run home run to break a ninth inning tie and lift the No. 13 Bellevue University baseball to a 13-10 victory over Midland University in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon at Moller Field.
With the win, BU improves to 26-11 on the year while the Warriors drop to 22-13 following their fourth-straight loss.
Midland committed four errors in the loss, though they allowed just one unearned run.
Five Bruins posted multi-hit games with Jake Lacey (3-5, 3B, 4 Runs, RBI) and Anthony Lind (3-5) leading the way with three hits apiece. Logan Grant (2-4, HR, 3 RBI) and Alec Ackerman (2-4, run, RBI) each reached base safely four times and Steven Elsner (2-5, 2B, HR, 2 runs, 5 RBI) accounted for the other multi-hit game.
Grant established an early BU lead with a two-run homer in the first, his 10th of the year.
Joshua Hardamon answered in the bottom of the frame with a two-run jack of his own.
Bellevue worked themselves back in front in the second, scoring three times including getting an RBI-triple from Lacey and a bunt single from Grant that brought home another.
Back-to-back home runs from Nathaniel Reyes and Hardamon in the third pulled Midland within a run, 5-4.
The Bruins tacked on four runs in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run double from Elsner. Ackerman drove in a run with a base hit for the first run of the inning and the final run of the frame came on an error.
Nick Grade executed a squeeze play in the sixth to provide some insurance but that was quickly erased as the Warriors responded with a five-spot in the bottom of the frame.
Yealex Lopez tied the game at 10-10 in the eighth with a solo shot.
Two of the first three Bruin batters in the ninth struck out but a two-out single from Ackerman put runners on the corner. Midland made a call to the bullpen to bring in Darius Blasingan but Elsner greeted him with a three-run home run, his 10th of the year as well.
Teron Williams induced three ground balls in a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his first save of the season. He was the only Bruin pitcher to not allow a run.
Bellevue used six pitchers in the scheduled "staff game" with Cade Herrmann (1-2) earning the win with two innings of relief work.
Owen Kelley (4-2) took the loss for Midland after being charged with a pair of runs in 1.2 innings of relief work.
The Bruins return home this weekend when they host Mayville State University for a four-game series beginning Friday, Apr. 12 at 1 p.m. from John Stella Field at Brown Park.