Claerhout, bullpen key Bruins sweep at Briar Cliff

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- A 28-hit effort across the double-header powered the No. 22-ranked Bellevue University baseball team to a sweep of Briar Cliff University in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon at Bishop Muller Field.

The Bruins took game one by a score of 6-3 before going on to secure the nightcap by a 9-5 margin. With the victories, Bellevue has now won six-straight to improve to 7-2 while Briar Cliff sees their losing skid extend to five games, falling to 2-8.

Game One: Bellevue 6, Briar Cliff 3

Dylan Holmes and Carter Claerhout each homered as Bellevue rallied from an early 1-0 deficit.

Cade Marquardt put the host side on the board in the bottom of the first with a two-out single to score Nico Sall.

Nick Hayes (0-2) threw well early for the Chargers, limiting BU to just one hit through the first three innings before running into trouble in the fourth. Claerhout and Gravel delivered singles earlier in the frame before Holmes unleashed a three-run home run for his first long ball of the year.

BCU got a run back in the home half when Grant Devecsery bopped a solo homer.

Claerhout delivered a two-out, two-run home run in the fifth to push the Bruins further ahead after Oak Held singled ahead of him to keep the inning rolling.

Damon Schmid reached fielding error in the bottom of the fifth that scored pinch-runner Kaden Allred to draw the Chargers closer.

Ayden Makarus tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh with an RBI-single. Briar Cliff intentionally walked Claerhout to get to Makarus – last year's NSAA Newcomer of the Year – and Makarus made them pay as he brought home Anthony Lind with for an added buffer.

Brody Burnette worked around a one-out double in the seventh to earn his fourth save of the season.

Kenji Miller (2-1) worked 4.2 effective innings, striking out six against a pair of walks, allowing three runs on seven hits to earn his second win of the season.

Game Two: Bellevue 9, Briar Cliff 5

Anthony Lind led of the game with an opposite field blast to quickly establish a 1-0 lead for the Bruins. Nick Gravel singled the other way to score Carter Claerhout later in the frame for a 2-0 lead after one.

An RBI-double from Lind and a run-scoring single from Oak Held in the second made it 4-0.

Mason Spellecy chased home another run with a sac fly in the third while two runners scored on an error on a sac fly from Ayden Makarus in the fourth, making it a 7-0 Bellevue lead.

Caleb St. Cyr put the Chargers on the board in the fourth with a three-run home run as the first three batters of the inning all reached.

Cade Marquardt chased in another run in the fifth with a ground ball but Bellevue responded with Gravel chasing in Claerhout with a sac bunt in the sixth.

Mason Spellecy belted his second home run of the year leading off the seventh and Nico Sall got that run back with an RBI-single in the home half.

The Bruins left a pair of runners on in the ninth otherwise the bats were quiet the remainder of the way.

Brady Baltus (3-0), making his first start of the year, struck out nine over five effective innings while allowing four runs on five hits and a walk. Kody Butt earned his first save of the year, striking out six over four innings of two-hit relief.

Brendan Ward (0-2) was tagged with the loss, surrendering five runs on nine hits in just two innings on the hill.

Top Performers:

Bellevue University

Carter Claerhout – 7-8, 3 doubles, home run (3), 2 RBI, 4 runs scored
Anthony Lind – 3-9, double, home run (3), 2 RBI, 4 runs scored
Nick Gravel – 4-7, double, walk, RBI, 2 runs scored
Dylan Holmes – 2-4, double, home run (1), 3 RBI
Mason Spellecy – 3-5, home run (2), 2 RBI, 2 runs scored

Briar Cliff University

Nico Sall – 3-4, double, run
Cade Marquardt – 2-4, RBI
Caleb St. Cyr – 3-run home run (1)
Grant Devecsery – solo home run (1)

Inside the Numbers:

• Bellevue out-hit Briar Cliff 28-16 on the day, totaling 10 extra-base hits to BCU's seven.
• The Bruin bullpen continued its strong work as three relievers – Cannon Close, Brody Burnette, and Kody Butt – combined to work 6.1 innings allowing just one run on two hits and striking out 10 against one walk.
• BU finally turned their first double play of the season in game one of the twin-bill.

Up Next:

Bellevue and Briar Cliff are still finalizing dates to finish-up their four-game set early next before the Bruins welcome Central Methodist University to town for a four-game series on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 27-28.