No. 7 Bellevue breaks it open in third, tops Aquinas, 10-2

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — No. 7 Bellevue University used a five-run third inning to seize control and went on to a 10-2 win over Aquinas College on Sunday at Chain of Lakes Field at the RussMatt Invitational. The Bruins improved to 15-3, while Aquinas fell to 5-9.

Oak Held went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a double, and Mason Spellecy finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs as BU scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Ayden Makarus hit a two-run homer in the third, and Spellecy added a two-run home run in the fourth.

Kody Butt earned the win after striking out 13 in 6.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with two walks. Dereck Morales worked a scoreless seventh, and Brody Burnette pitched the final two innings.

Eric Bryce doubled and stole home for Aquinas' first run, and Chase Robinson drove in the Saints' other run with an RBI single in the ninth.

How It Happened

Aquinas opened the scoring in the top of the third when Bryce doubled, stole third, and then stole home to put the Saints ahead 1-0.

Bellevue answered with five runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-1 lead. Jaylan Ruffin's RBI double tied it 1-1, and Held followed with an RBI double to make it 2-1. Held later scored on a throwing error to push the margin to 3-1, and Makarus capped the inning with a two-out, two-run homer for a 5-1 advantage.

The Bruins added two more in the fourth after Dylan Holmes was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Spellecy followed with a two-run home run to extend the lead to 7-1.

Bellevue tacked on three runs in the sixth to build a 10-1 cushion. Held singled up the middle to drive in two runs, and Carter Claerhout followed with an RBI single to make it 10-1.

Aquinas scored in the ninth when Travis Weide doubled, and Robinson singled him home to cut it to 10-2.

Top Performers

Bellevue University (hitters)

• Oak Held: 3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2B
• Mason Spellecy: 3-for-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB
• Ayden Makarus: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, HR
• Jaylan Ruffin: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B
• Carter Claerhout: 2-for-5, RBI

Bellevue University (pitching)

• Kody Butt (W): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 K
• Dereck Morales: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
• Brody Burnette: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K

Aquinas College

• Eric Bryce: 1-for-3, R, 2B
• Travis Weide: 1-for-1, R, 2B
• Chase Robinson: 1-for-2, RBI

Inside the Numbers

• Bellevue: 10 runs, 14 hits, 0 errors; Aquinas: 2 runs, 7 hits, 1 error
• BU went 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position; Aquinas went 1-for-9
• Butt, Morales, and Burnette combined for 14 strikeouts

Up Next

The Bruins return to action on Tuesday, Mar. 10, when they travel to Lake Wales, Fla., for a 5 p.m. (CT) contest at Warner University.