LAKE WALES, Fla. -- The Bellevue University baseball team scored eight runs in the first four innings en route to a 9-1 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene University Thursday afternoon at the Warner University Invitational.
Bellevue (14-3), which has won three-straight games, was led at the plate by center fielder Trevor Jones, who went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. Derik Bontempo finished 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBIs.
Jones gave the Bruins an early 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the top of the second inning. The Cougars countered in the bottom of the second, scoring on a fielding error by BU short stop Kevin Rodriguez, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Bruins extended the lead to 6-1 in the top of the third, scoring on a two-run double by Bontempo, an RBI single by Jake Browne and a ground-out RBI by John King.
Jones drove in another run in the top of the fourth on an RBI triple to right field and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Bruins an 8-1 advantage.
Gabriel DeLaRosa completed the game's scoring in the top of the sixth on an RBI single to right field, scoring Ross Feeley, to make the final, 9-1.
Ben McKendall improved to 5-0 on the season, scattering five hits with no walks and two strikeouts in six innings on the mound.
Bellevue will continue action at the tournament on Friday with an 11 a.m. game against St. Ambrose University and a 3:30 p.m. contest against Cornerstone University.
