Bruins jump on TCJ early in 9-1 victory
AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The No. 7-ranked Bellevue University baseball team scored early and often to cruise past Trinity College of Jacksonville (Fla.) 9-1 at Lake Myrtle Field on Friday morning.
The Bruins improve to 18-3 on the season wrapping up their Spring Break trip with a 6-1 record, while Trinity College falls to 8-13.
Bellevue 9, Trinity College 1
Bellevue wasted no time staking their claim to an early lead, plating three runs in each of the first two frames. Ayden Makarus got the scoring started in the first with a two-run double to center, followed shortly by a Dylan Holmes RBI single.
In the second inning, Oak Held broke the game open with a towering three-run home run to right field, his third of the season, extending the lead to 6-0. Holmes added his own fireworks in the third with a solo shot to center, and a fielder's choice by Carter Claerhout in the fourth made it an 8-0 cushion.
On the mound, Brayden Andersen (4-0) was clinical, earning the win with five shutout innings. He allowed just five hits and struck out four while navigating through traffic effectively. Kody Butt provided four innings of solid relief to earn his second save, allowing just one unearned run in the ninth.
Trinity College finally broke through in the final frame when Gadriel Burgos reached on an error that allowed Logan McGann to score, but the deficit proved far too large to overcome.
Brodie Nichols (3-4) took the loss for Trinity, struggling through four innings where he surrendered eight earned runs on nine hits.
Top Performers
Bellevue University
Oak Held – 2-2, HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 R, BB
Dylan Holmes – 2-5, HR (5), 2 RBI
Ayden Makarus – 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Brayden Andersen – W (4-0), 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 4 SO
Kody Butt – Save (2) 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 5 SO
Trinity College of Jacksonville
Tyson LaChapelle – 3-4, BB
Logan McGann – 2-5, run
Richaun Amaro – 2-5
Trey Rosado – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 4 SO
Inside the Numbers:
- Bellevue out-slugged Trinity despite being out-hit 12-11; the Bruins' hits were more impactful, including two doubles and two home runs.
- The Bruins' defense was sharp until the final inning, while Trinity's two errors led to a pair of unearned runs for Bellevue.
- Bellevue's 6-1 record on the trip is their best-ever winning percentage over Spring Break.
Up Next:
Bellevue is next slated to play a conference round robin at the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D. with four games to open Frontier Conference play. The Bruins face Dickinson State University (10 a.m.) and Mayville State University (4:30 p.m.) on Saturday, Mar. 21 before meeting Bismarck State College (1:15 p.m.) and Valley City State University (4:30 p.m.) on Sunday, Mar. 22.
