BU comes up short in season-ending loss to Tigers

Jarrod Molnaa didn’t allow an earned run in three solid innings of relief for the Bruins.
Jarrod Molnaa didn’t allow an earned run in three solid innings of relief for the Bruins.

Box Score
Tournament Website
NAIA Opening Round Schedule/Results

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- The 4th-seeded Bellevue University baseball team scored three runs in the ninth but couldn't overcome 2nd-seeded Campbellsville University as the Bruins fell 9-7 in Game Six of the 2018 NAIA Opening Round Bowling Green Bracket, hosted by Campbellsville University and the Bowling Green Convention and Visitors Bureau at BG Ballpark.

Campbellsville improves to 38-16 with the win and advances to play top-seeded Science & Arts at 6 p.m. with a spot in the Opening Round Bowling Green Bracket Championship Round on the line.

Bellevue wraps up their season with a 38-23 mark.

#21 Campbellsville 9, (RV) Bellevue 7

Campbellsville struck first and answered back every time Bellevue scored as the Tigers eliminated the Bruins from the Opening Round Bowling Green Bracket by a score of 9-7 on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tigers jumped out to a fast with a three-run first inning courtesy of five hits, several of which were just out of range of BU infielders.

Bellevue got a run back in the bottom of the first. Kory Longaker reached on a leadoff single, stole second, and came around on Riley Baasch's RBI-double.

BU manufactured another run in the third to cut the lead in half. Diego Iribarren led off with a single up the middle, stole second, took third on an error, and came in on Matt Evans' grounder.

Campbellsville got that run back in the fourth with Matthew Valdez's two-out RBI-single.

A two-run fifth from the Tigers doubled their lead at 6-2 with Ty Housden and David Montoya providing an RBI-single and sac fly, respectively.

In the bottom of the fifth, Bellevue saw each of their first two batters reach base but Campbellsville escaped with minimal damage thanks to a pitcher Parker Loutensock's second pickoff of the day and a strikeout. However, BU did push across a run on a single by Evans to plate Austin Alexander.

The Tigers picked up a run in each the sixth and seventh innings on a Tyler Solis hit and a BU error an inning later to go up 8-3.

A leadoff double in the eighth by Evans set Bellevue up to score another run on a sac fly from Baasch. Bellevue had a chance to add on additional runs in the frame but a nice play by the second baseman Montoya ended the threat with two runners left on base.

Bryson Wallet knocked in an insurance run in the ninth with a double to plate Housden.

Alexander led off the ninth with a double and came around to score on another RBI-single from Evans with two outs. Longaker made things a lot more interesting as he followed Evans with a two-run home run, his 10th of the year, to cut the CU lead to just 9-7.

Parker Loutensock (5-0) earned the win for Campbellsville. He allowed seven runs on 10 hits over 8.2 innings. Loutensock struck out seven and walked two.

Marco Murillo struck out the only batter he faced to end the game and earn his second save of the year.

Stephen Knapp (5-3) took the loss for the Bruins. He was charged with allowing six runs on 10 hits over the course of five innings. Knapp struck out three and walked one.

Jarrod Molnaa came in out of the bullpen to throw three strong innings for BU without surrendering an earned run. He struck out four and allowed three hits.

Longaker and Evans led BU's 10-hit day with three hits apiece.