OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Zach Diehl's three-run first inning home run set the tone as the Bellevue University baseball team pounded out 15 hits to pick up their first win of the season, defeating host Oklahoma City University 10-8 on Sunday afternoon at Jim Wade Stadium.
Records:
#7 Bellevue: 1-2
#10 Oklahoma City: 5-2
Recap: BU 10, OCU 8
Zach Diehl staked the Bruins to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame, taking a 2-1 pitch deep to left.
Andrew Ishii chased in Daniel Teasley with a ground ball in the second and Bellevue added on two more runs in the third to build an early 6-0 lead.
Oklahoma City erased the deficit in the home half of the third as the Stars sent 10 men to the plate and tied the game on a two-run single from Noah Barks.
The Bruins scratched across single runs in both the fourth and seventh innings. Riley Baasch doubled in Cody Banks to put up 7-6 and Josh Benson came in to score on a wild pitch to put BU ahead 8-6.
Chaz Lopez pushed the BU lead to three runs, singling in Baasch in the eighth before OCU struck for a pair of runs on a one-out single by John Anthon single in the bottom of the frame.
Bellevue used small ball to push across an insurance run in the ninth. Payton Higgins led off the frame with an infield single, took second on a balk, and advanced to third on a sac bunt from Josh Vaughan. Teasley then came through with a sac bunt that plated Higgins for a two-run BU lead.
After two quick outs to begin the ninth, consecutive OCU hitters reached base, including Fredric Walter who represented the tying run after he was hit on an 0-2 pitch. Jarrett Poh escaped trouble by getting Barks to line out to Banks at third, ending the game and giving the Bruins their first win of the season.
Charlie Patterson (1-0) worked 6.1 innings to earn the victory. He allowed six runs on seven hits and struck out six Stars while issuing just a pair of walks. Poh (S-1) recorded the save with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Among the offensive highlights for Bellevue was a 4-for-5 effort from Hunter Jury and three-hit games for both Banks and Higgins. Baasch registered his third-straight two-hit game to begin the season.
Brandon Goldston (1-1) suffered the loss for Oklahoma City after he was charged with allowing seven runs – five earned – on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Up Next:
Bellevue heads to Fort Worth, Texas next weekend where the Bruins with play a pair of non-conference double-headers. BU faces Our Lady of the Lake University on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Texas Wesleyan University Sunday, Feb. 16. First pitch is set for noon both days.
