Box Score
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The #23 Bellevue University baseball team stranded nine runners, including leaving the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings, as they fell to Texas A&M University-Texarkana 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at Jim Wade Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma City University.
Records:
#23 Bellevue: 2-5
Texas A&M-Texarkana: 5-6
Recap: Texarkana 4, Bellevue 3
Jake Macdonald was responsible for the first two eagle runs with a sac fly in the top of the first and a run-scoring double to center field in the third.
JT Patterson put Bellevue on the board with a solo HR, his first of the season, in the bottom of the fourth.
TAMU-Texarkana put their first two batters of the sixth on base and, following a passed ball, Keone McKee delivered a two-run single to put the Eagles up 4-1.
The Bruins answered with two runs of their own in the home half of the sixth courtesy of an RBI-single by Cody Banks and a run-scoring fielder's choice that saw Hunter Jury reach on a TAMUT error. BU had a chance for more with the bases loaded and just one out but, after reliever Michael Herrera walked Brandon Sparks, he wriggled out of trouble with a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat.
Tye Holliday's two-out hit looked to score a run but Bellevue left fielder Wataru Kazama hosed Brayden Cook at the plate to end the inning and keep BU within just a run headed to the bottom of the seventh.
Bellevue again threatened in the final inning, loading the bases with one out but Herrera struck out the final two batters of the game to leave the bases juiced.
Eagle starter Sam Wells (2-0) logged 5.1 effective innings in which he limited the Bruins to three runs – two earned – on four hits and notched a pair of punch outs to earn the win.
BU starter Mitch Savine (0-2) allowed two runs on four hits and recorded one strikeout in 3.0 innings on the hill and took the loss.
Herrera picked up his second save of the season despite allowing a pair of hits and two walks in just 1.2 innings of work out of the 'pen.
Kazama and Banks each recorded two-hit games for the Bruins in the loss.
Up Next:
Bellevue is scheduled to head to Fayette, Mo. next weekend for a pair of double-headers against #21 Central Methodist (Friday, Feb. 22) and Briar Cliff (Saturday, Feb. 23). Games are slated for noon on both days.
