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SHAWNEE, Okla. -- Charlie Krueger's fifth inning home run proved to be the difference as the 18th-ranked Bellevue University baseball edged No. 20 Northwestern (Iowa) College Tuesday in the Bruins' first game of the NAIA Opening Round at Bison Field at Ford Park.
With the win, Bellevue (38-15-2) advances to the winner's bracket and will play the winner between Bacone and top-ranked Oklahoma Baptist at 11 a.m. tomorrow.
The Red Raiders (41-12) will play Friends University in an elimination game at 6 p.m. tonight.
Ricky Holm earned his 10th win of the season in the complete game win. He scattered three hits with six strikeouts and gave up one unearned run.
After being held without a baserunner through the first three innings, the Red Raiders took advantage of a BU fielding error and hit batter and registered the first hit of the game to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.
The Bruins responded in the bottom half of the fifth to tie the game at 1-1. Devin Ferguson led the inning off with a triple and came around to score on Joe Mancuso's RBI groundout.
Krueger blasted his 10th home run of the season to give the Bruins their first lead of the game, 2-1, in the sixth inning.
The Bruins loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but NWC reliever Isaac Horigan was able to induce a groundout for the third out.
Ryan Brasser took the loss for the Red Raiders and fell to 6-2 on the season. He allowed two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work.
Bellevue is now 5-8 all-time in the NAIA Opening Round since the format was adopted in 2009.
NAIA Championship Opening Round - Shawnee Bracket
Shawnee, Okla. | Bison Field at Ford Park
Monday, May 12
Game 1: Bacone def. Friends, 5-2
Tuesday, May 13
Game 2: Bellevue def. Northwestern (Iowa), 2-1
Game 3: Bacone vs. Oklahoma Baptist, 2:30 p.m.
Game 4: Friends vs. Northwestern (Iowa), 6 p.m.
Wednesday, May 14
Game 5: Bellevue vs. Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5, 6 p.m.
Thursday, May 15
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, noon, championship
Game 9: if necessary, 3 p.m.
