OMAHA, Neb. -- Ben McKendall fired a complete-game shutout to power the fifth-ranked Bellevue University baseball team to a 6-0 victory over Dickinson State University in the first game of a North Star Athletic Association triple-header on Friday afternoon at Westgate Field.
Bellevue struck first in the third inning with Jake Browne producing a two-out, run-scoring single to plate Ross Feeley from second base.
The Bruins added a pair of runs in the fourth inning. The first came on an RBI-groundout from Gabriel De La Rosa that scored Matt Evans from third. A couple batters later Trevor Jones singled to left center to chase in Todd Nicks to put BU up 3-0.
BU added two more in the fifth. Browne added another RBI-single in the inning, driving in Derik Bontempo who had led off the inning with a triple to deep center. Two batters later Nicks delivered a single that plated pinch-runner Joe Moran.
The Bruins tacked on an insurance run in the sixth on a double to left-center by Evans that brought home Colton Nash.
McKendall (6-0, 0.69) scattered four hits over seven shutout innings to record the victory. He struck out five and issued just one free pass.
Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow, the game marked the first of three contests today between the two teams.
