OMAHA, Neb. -- A fielding error in the bottom of the 11th inning by Warrior third baseman Jack Muhleck allowed the Bruins to score the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning as the Bellevue University baseball team escaped with a 4-3 victory over Waldorf University in the final game of the Bruin Pre-season Classic Sunday afternoon at John Stella Field in Brown Park.
With the win, the Bruins improved to 17-8 on the season. Waldorf fell to 6-11 overall.
Despite not getting a hit, the Bruins gained a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to three walks and a wild pitch by Warrior starter Sam Jones, allowing Riley Baasch to score from the third.
The Warriors responded in the top of the fifth on an RBI double to center field by Alejandro Gonzalez and a two-run homer to left-center field by Thomas Capllonch, to take a 3-1 advantage.
BU picked up its first hit of the game in the bottom of the fifth on a single up the middle by Josh Vaughan, but the Bruins could not capitalize as Jones induced a pair of ground outs to keep the score at 3-1.
Baasch launched a solo homer well over the left-field fence to pull the Bruins to within a run at 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth. The home run for Baasch broke the school career record for runs scored (170) and tied the mark for career home runs (40).
After Cade Sakamoto lined a double to deep center field, Zach Diehl tied the game with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the ninth frame, evening the contest at 3-3.
The Warriors threatened in the top of the 11th frame with a single by Jack Muhleck. After a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch put Muhleck on third, reliever Alexandro Cileceo registered a strikeout and forced a fly out to keep the score at 3-3.
In the bottom of the 11th with two outs, the Bruins rallied with a walk to Hagen Holmstead and a single to right field by Diehl, putting runners on first and second. Payton Higgins lined a ball to third base which was misplayed by Muhleck, allowing Holmstead to score the winning run.
Cileceo (3-0) earned the win after allowing just one hit with no walks and four strikeouts in the final four innings of relief.
Nic Tebeau (1-1) suffered the loss, with just one hit and one walk, and two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief of Jones.
The Bruins will host Midland University in a single nine-inning contest on Tuesday, March 24 at 4 p.m. at Brown Park.
