OMAHA, Neb. -- The game's lone run came in unearned fashion in the eighth as York College edge the Bellevue University baseball team 1-0 on Tuesday evening in non-conference action at John Stella Field at Brown Park.
Bellevue falls to 22-18 with the loss while York ups their record to 15-22 as the Panthers win the season series over the Bruins, three games to two.
York wasted a leadoff double from Luke Jackson in the fifth as Bruin starter Junior Ramirez induced back-to-back fly balls and struck out Keenan Albracht to escape danger.
BU threatened in the bottom of the sixth following back-to-back walks to Brandon Sparks and Matt Evans to open the frame but a pair of punch outs and a ground ball saw York escape the inning with the score still 0-0.
York finally broke through in the eighth inning. Albracht sliced a triple down the right field line and scored when the relay throw to third skidded into foul territory.
The Bruins again threatened in the eight. Sparks reached scoring position with just one out and BU put runners at second and third with two outs but Brandon Facha got a strikeout called over the inside corner to keep it 1-0 in favor of the Panthers.
York nearly added to their lead in the ninth when Tyler Tate doubled on a fly ball to left that got lost in the lights but Jesse Morales was hosed at the plate on the relay from Austin Alexander to Kory Longaker to Travis Tanaka who applied the tag. Tate was then stranded at third following a strikeout by Max Dwyer of Albracht to end the inning and give Bellevue one last chance.
Riley Baasch doubled leading off the ninth but was unable to get any further as Facha picked up his first save of the year by getting the next three batters without incident.
Aaron Alvarez (1-0) earned the win in relief with a pair of scoreless innings.
Ramirez (1-2) was the tough-luck loser despite not allowing an earned run over 8.1 innings of work. He scattered six hits, struck out five, and walked three.
Up Next:
Bellevue hosts Mayville State University and Dickinson State University on Thursday-Friday, Apr. 12-13 at Brown Park. Bellevue will be the home team against Dickinson State and the visiting team against Mayville State.
