MCAC Standings

McPHERSON, Kan. -- The Bellevue University baseball team captured its 13th regular season Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference title on Friday, completing a series sweep at Central Christian College. The Bruins took the opener 18-16 before cruising to a 16-4 win in the nightcap at Grant Complex.

The Bruins have won 10-straight games, improving to 36-17 on the season, while finishing the MCAC regular season with a 17-3 league record. Central Christian ended its season with a 3-46 overall record and a 0-20 MCAC mark. 

Bellevue will host the four-team MCAC Tournament on Wednesday-Friday, May 2-4, at Westgate Field. Times and pairings will be announced on Monday. 

The Bruins will host Briar Cliff University on Sunday (April 29) in a single nine-inning contest at Werner Park. The game will also serve as a benefit fundraiser for cancer research and has been designated as "Striking Out Cancer on Tanner's Day."

Game 1: Bellevue 18, Central Christian 16
For the second-straight day, the Bruins overcame a large deficit before rallying to pull out a dramatic victory in the late innings. BU scored 11 runs in the final three frames to erase early deficits of 9-0, 12-1 and 15-9. Trailing 16-14 entering the ninth inning, the Bruins plated four runs  to escape with the 18-16 victory. 

The two teams combined for 44 hits in the slugfest, with the Bruins tallying a season second-best 23 hits. 

Spencer Duggan went 4-for-6 with a triple, a home run and four RBIs. Brandon Thompson finished 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs. Seven BU players collected multiple hits in the game.

The Tigers led 9-0 after three innings and increased the margin to 12-1 in the fourth. BU closed the gap to 12-6 in the fifth, scoring five runs sparked by a two-run homer by Ryan Knutz.

Trailing 15-9 entering the eighth inning, the Bruins scored five runs on Duggan's two-run homer, a two-run double by Lance Lutz and an RBI single by Sean Mattson to creep to within one run at 15-14.

A solo homer by Jr. Smith gave CCC a 16-14 advantage entering the ninth inning. 

A pair of RBI singles by Duggan and Thompson tied the game at 16-16  in the top of the ninth and Joey Jones' two-run single to center field gave BU its first lead of the game at 18-16. 

Robert Greco entered the game in the bottom of the ninth, giving up a single before retiring the final three Tigers to earn the save. Pete Talkington (2-1) earned the win, striking out two while allowing three hits and one run in 1.2 innings of relief. 

Bellevue..................000 151 254 - 18 23 4
Central Christian...252 300 310 - 16 21 2
W: Talkington (2-1)
L: Newland (1-10)
S: Greco (5)
2B: BU, Pavel, Moore 2, Lutz, Mattson 2
3B: BU, Duggan
HR: BU, Duggan, Thompson, Knutz

Game 2: Bellevue 16, Central Christian 4
The Bruins scored a run in the first six innings and took advantage of eight CCC fielding errors en route to a 16-4 win in the finale.

BU outhit the Tigers 18-6 and recorded five doubles, two triples and a home run.

Tanner Moore put the Bruins on top in the first inning with an RBI single that scored Tylor Pavel who opened the game with a double.

BU added four runs in the second and scored three more in the third inning. The Tigers committed four errors as the Bruins registered seven hits in the two innings. Pavel notched two RBIs while Knutz, Moore, Duggan and Thompson tallied an RBI apiece to lead the Bruin offense.

CCC scored two runs in the second and third innings to cut the Bruins' lead down to three, 7-4, but that's the closest they got as BU scored eight unanswered runs.

The Bruins tallied their ninth run of the game in the fourth on an error before scoring five runs in the fifth. Thompson blasted his third home run in the series and Mattson and Pavel each added RBIs. BU also scored two more runs on a pair of errors by CCC.

Dan Smolinski ended the game's scoring in the sixth with a two-run triple to give BU the 16-4 win.

Grant Mason (2-0) recorded his first complete game, giving up four runs on six hits with a walk while recording three strikeouts. Channing Newland (1-10) took the loss for the Tigers, allowing five runs on six hits in just one inning of work.

Bellevue..................143 152 0 - 16 18  0
Central Christian...022 000 0 -  4   6   8
W: Mason (2-0)
L: Newland (1-10)
2B: BU, Pavel, Thompson, Kerns, Knutz (2)
3B: BU, D. Smolinski (2)
HR: BU, Thompson;  CCC, Gaut