BABSON PARK, Fla. - Senior Tyler Blood (Salt Lake City, Utah) was 2-for-3 including his first career home-run and junior Kevin Rodriguez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) hit his first career home run but it wasn't enough as the Bellevue University baseball team dropped a 5-3 contest at Webber International on Saturday afternoon.
The loss snaps a 5-game win streak for the Bruins (12-4) who went 6-2 on their trip to the Sunshine State. Webber International has now won four in a row while improving to 15-10 on the year.
The Warriors jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first when Ramon Sanchez singled with runners at the corners to score AJ Arroyo. The lead didn't stand for long as Blood delivered a sac fly to center to score junior Miles Campbell (New Cumberland, Pa.) to level things at 1-1.
Webber International responded with singled runs in both the third and fourth innings. Sanchez singled to plate Arroyo in the third and Arroyo's singled with runners on the corners scored Lenin Sanchez in the fourth.
Rodriguez cut the Bruins deficit in half at 3-2 with his first career home run, a solo shot to left field in the top of the fifth.
Webber International added a pair of runs in the seventh following a throwing error to push their lead to 5-2, a lead that proved too much for the Bruins to overcome.
Blood launched his first career home run to left field in the bottom but that would be the end of the offense for the Bruins who went quietly in the ninth.
Sean Stanislawski (4-2) worked six innings, allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out seven to record the victory. Nathan Burke worked a perfect ninth, striking out two, to pick up the save.
Sophomore Stephan Meyer (Tucson, Ariz.) logged five innings but limited the Warriors to three runs despite surrendering five hits and issuing five free passes. He struck out seven on the day but falls to 2-2 on the season.
Campbell, senior Osvaldo Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.), and junior Colton Nash (Bonney Lake, Wash.) each added a hit for the Bruins in the loss.
Bellevue is scheduled to return to the diamond on Tuesday, Mar. 10 for their home-opener against Morningside at 3:00 p.m.
