FORT WORTH, Texas -- After claiming a 3-2 win in Monday's opener, the Bellevue University baseball rallied from a 5-1 deficit to down Texas Wesleyan 8-5 in the series finale to earn a 3-1 series victory over the host Rams.
Bellevue improves to 6-2 on the young season while Texas Wesleyan drops to 6-4. Both teams are receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Game One: BU 3, TWU 2
Bellevue took the victory in a pitcher's duel in game one. The teams traded runs in the third before Bellevue went ahead for good in the fifth.
Brenton Davis put the Bruins ahead by driving in Zach Diehl but Grayson Barrett singled home Jose Sosa for an unearned run after a throwing error allowed Sosa to advance to second on a routine ground ball with two outs.
Bellevue took a 2-1 lead on a safety squeeze from Payton Higgins back to the mound. A high throw allowed Diehl to slide in just under the tag.
The Bruins tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when pinch-hitter Chaz Lopez doubled down the left field line with two runners on to chase in Andrew Ishii while Cade Sakamoto being thrown out at the plate.
Texas Wesleyan put runners on second and third with two outs following a passed ball in the bottom half of the sixth. Pinch-hitter Kevin Santiago singled to right to bring home Nelson Vera but Kaden Brown was tagged out at the dish to end the frame.
Both teams went down in order in the seventh as the Bruins hung on for the win.
Bruin starter Graham Cahill (1-0) performed well in his season debut, logging seven solid innings in which he held the Rams to just two runs (one earned) on six hits. He struck out five against three walks.
Left-hander Marcos Sanchez (1-1) took the loss for Texas Wesleyan despite an effective outing. He allowed two runs on two hits and struck out four but yielded three walks.
Game Two: BU 8, TWU 5
Josh Vaughan broke a 5-5 tie in the seventh with a two-out, two-run double to lift Bellevue to the series victory with an 8-5 triumph in the series finale.
Bellevue again struck first in the series final as back-to-back walks followed by a passed ball to begin the game allowed Cody Banks to chase in the first run with a sac fly.
Kevin Santiago tied the game up in the second with an RBI-triple to chase in Brayden Bahnsen.
The Rams touched off for four runs in the third to grab a 5-1 lead. The first four runners of the inning reach before Matt Espinoza brought home Jose Sosa with a squeeze.
Bellevue scratched back two in the fourth with a run-scoring groundout from Alec Lee and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch from Andrew Ishii.
Trailing 5-3 into the sixth, Rigo Duarte cut the lead in half as he led off the frame with a pinch-hit solo home run. Josh Vaughan walked and took second on an errant third strike before coming in to score on an RBI-single by Brenton Davis to tie the game at 5-5. Davis ended up on third after the play and might have scored were he not tagged out on an unsuccessful squeeze play at the plate. Following a pitching change, Payton Higgins single through the left side and took second on a wild pitch but was stranded on a flyout.
Bruin starter Bailey Link departed with the score tied after five innings in which he allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Santiago greeted BU relief pitcher Colton Walker with a leadoff double in the sixth as the Rams threatened but Walker worked out of trouble without allowing a run.
After Bellevue's three-run seventh, Texas Wesleyan gave themselves a chance in the home half of the frame as the Rams loaded the bases with two outs but Walker caught pinch-hitter J Valle looking at strike three to end the game.
Jaxon Ingram lasted 3.2 innings but yielded three runs on a hit and three walks but like his counterpart, Link, Ingram did not factor in the decision.
Walker (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings or relief.
Matt Moclair (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs in 0.2 innings of relief.
Up Next:
Bellevue returns to the diamond next weekend (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 26-27) with four games at the CMU Series, at Versailles High School in Versailles, Mo.
