OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- After falling into a seven-run hole in the game's first two innings the Bellevue University baseball team fell 21-0 to Oklahoma City University on Thursday afternoon at Jim Wade Stadium in a battle of Top 10 teams in the Bruins 2018 season-opener.
Bellevue, ranked ninth nationally, saw their string of three-straight season-opening wins snapped as they fall to 4-4 in season-openers under Coach Duane Monlux. Oklahoma City, ranked third in the NAIA, sees their record improve to 5-0.
OKCU jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, scoring three runs in the first and pushing across four more in the second inning.
The Stars put the game out of reach in the sixth, scoring three runs going station-to-station before a grand slam off the bat of Quinton Walbergh ran the lead to 14-0. All seven runs in the inning were scored with two outs.
Oklahoma City tacked on seven more runs in the seventh to account for the final margin.
Bryce Milligan (2-0) earned the win for the Stars. He fired 6.2 shutout innings and allowed just three hits and striking out nine before yielding to his bullpen which preserved the shutout.
Battery-mate and leadoff hitter Lane Milligan was 5-for-6 at the dish to pace OKCU while Garrett Foster and Shaun Corso each had three-hit games for the Stars. Joe Lytle, Branden Grieger, and Elliott Cary also had multi-hit games for the home side.
Reed Feeley (0-1) took the loss for the Bruins. Zach Wilson threw 4.1 innings of effective relief until encountering trouble in the sixth. Jordan Baughman finished the game with 1.1 innings of one-hit relief.
Austin Alexander collected BU's first hit of the season leading off the second but was quickly erased on a twin-killing.
Brandon Salmon, Jonah Yang, and Riley Baasch recorded Bellevue's other two hits on the afternoon.
The Bruins (0-1) and Stars (5-0) meet again tomorrow with first pitch tentatively set for 1 p.m. BU will complete their first trip of the season later in the day with a 3:30 p.m. game against Texas College (1-3).
Bruins in Season-Openers under Coach Monlux (4-4)
2018 - Loss, Oklahoma City
2017 - Win, Saint Mary (Kan.)
2016 - Win, Oklahoma City
2015 - Win, Science & Arts
2014 - Loss, MidAmerica Nazarene
2013 - Win, Mount Mercy
2012 - Loss, Mount Mercy
2011 - Loss, Lubbock Christian
