LAKE WALES, Fla. -- The Bellevue University baseball team used the stellar pitching of Kevin Rodriguez and clutch hitting to pull out a dramatic, 4-3, win in 10 innings over host Warner University in the championship game of the Warner Invitational Saturday afternoon.
The 12th-ranked Bruins improved to 17-4 on the season with the win. Warner dropped to 19-11 overall.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead after plating a run in the top of the fourth following a Todd Nicks' single and a Warner fielding error that scored Matt Evans from second.
An RBI double to left-center field by Derik Bontempo extended the BU lead to 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning.
A two-run double by Jeff Stabe and an RBI single by Randy Rodriguez gave WU its first lead at 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
The Bruins tied it up at 3-3 in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Trevor Jones that scored Nicks, who led off the inning with an infield single.
Neither team scored again until the top of the 10th when Nicks doubled to left-center field and Connor Garrison drove him in with an infield single to give BU a 4-3 advantage.
Rodriguez preserved the win, allowing just one baserunner in the bottom of the tenth, before forcing a ground out to end the contest.
Rodriguez (2-0) earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit, while striking out five and walking none in 4.2 innings of work.
Nicks finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs and a double. Garrison was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Colton Nash was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
The Bruins will travel to Orange City, Iowa next Friday, March 18 for a 3 p.m. doubleheader at Northwestern College.
