VCSU trips up BU 9-7, to advance to Championship Game
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 2 |
DICKINSON, N.D. -- A pair of errors leading to five unearned runs was too much to overcome for the top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Bellevue University baseball team as second-seeded Valley City State University knocked BU into the loser's bracket by a score of 9-7 on Friday.
The Bruins see their program-best win streak halted at 33 games as they fall to 45-4 while VCSU improves to 26-22-1 on the year. Additionally, the win snapped a 16-game conference tournament win streak for BU that dated back to 2022.
The Vikings have an off-day tomorrow before they play in Sunday's Championship Game at noon Central Time (11 a.m. Mountain Time). The "if necessary" game would take place approximately a half hour after the completion of the Championship Game should they lose.
Valley City 9, Bellevue 7
Alexis Velasco and Nick Senn got the Vikings going with a sac fly and solo home run in the third to stake VCSU to an early 2-0 lead.
Bellevue answered with a sac fly from Oak Held to plate Jaylan Ruffin in the home half.
The Bruins and Vikings traded runs in the fourth with Evan Gonzalez scoring on an error for Valley City and Xavier Lerma doubling home Ayden Makarus.
Carter Claerhout tied the game in the fifth with a ground out that plated Nick Gravel.
Kaden Rozdeba belted a two-run home run in the sixth to put Valley City back in front 5-3.
An error in the seventh opened the door for the Vikings to capitalize with a four-run frame, capped by Rozdeba's second home run of the game, a solo shot to center that gave VCSU a 9-3 advantage.
BU got all four runs back in the bottom of the seventh. Claerhout chased in another run with a ground ball before Makarus launched his three-run home run, his 18th of the year. Lerma singled and Holmes walked with just one out as Bellevue threatened for more but a strikeout and a flyout saw the Vikings escape further damage.
The Bruins had one more chance in the bottom of the ninth, putting runners on the corners with just one out but a pair of fly balls ended the threat as Valley City secured their first win over Bellevue since 2019.
Brayden Andersen (10-1) suffered his first loss of the season on the bump, allowing nine runs (four earned) over 6.2 innings. He struck out a pair, walked three, and allowed 11 hits.
Grady Shipman (6-2) earned the win for the Vikings, holding Bellevue to four runs on six hits in six innings of work. He struck out one and walked one.
Jarrett Faue earned his third save with 2.2 innings of two-hit, scoreless relief.
Top Performers
Bellevue University
Nick Gravel: 4-5, double, 2 runs
Ayden Makarus: 1-4, 3-run HR (18), 2 runs
Xavier Lerma: 2-4, double, RBI
Carter Claerhout: 1-5, 2 RBI, 27-game hit streak
Cannon Close: 2.1 IP scoreless relief
Valley City State University
Grady Shipman: Win (6-2), 6 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits
Jarrett Faue: Save (3), 2.2 IP, 2 Hits, 2 SO, 1 BB
Kaden Rozdeba: 3-4, 2 HR (6), 3 RBI, 2 runs
Nick Senn: 1-4, Solo HR (9)
Alexis Velasco: 2-4, RBI
Hunter Logan: 2-5, run
Up Next
Bellevue plays an elimination game tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. Central Time (2:30 p.m. Mountain Time) against the winner of the game between 4-seed Dakota State and 6-seed Bismarck State. The winner of that meets VCSU on Sunday for the Frontier Conference Championship.