BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Payton Higgins singled home Zach Diehl in the bottom of the 11th for the lone run of the game as the Bellevue University baseball team defeated Morningside University 1-0 in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at Don Roddy Field on the campus of Bellevue East High School.
With the win, Bellevue improves to 20-10 while the loss drops Morningside to 13-18.
Neither team could get much going early as the hit count through six innings was BU 4, Morningside 3.
Bellevue left runners in scoring position in seven different innings and hit just 0-10 in such situations until extras. However, pitching kept the Bruins in it until they could muster an extra inning run.
In total, Bellevue left 12 runners on base in a pitcher's duel that saw both team's staffs strike out at least 11. Morningside pitching struck out 11 Bruins while BU hurlers fanned 16 Morningside batters.
Morningside managed to get a runner in scoring position in the fourth when Hunter Hope doubled with one out but he was subsequently put out on a fielder's choice a batter later.
Hope led off the seventh with a base hit before advancing to second on a sac bunt and taking third on a ground out before Celiceo struck out Brian Garcia to end the threat.
In the decisive frame, Zach Diehl drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Conner Barnett. That set up Higgins whose line drive single to right plated Diehl for the walk-off victory, allowing BU to improve to 4-1 in extra innings games on the season.
Graham Cahill cruised through six shutout innings for Bellevue striking out 10 Mustang hitters and allowing just three hits before giving way to Alexandro Celiceo who struck out three against one hit in a pair of scoreless relief innings.
Derek Browne (2-2) earned the win in relief. After coming on to start the ninth, Browne struck out three and allowed just a two-out, 11th inning single in three scoreless innings of work.
Reliever Camden Parks (0-2) took the loss, allowing the unearned run.
The Bruins (20-10/2-2 NSAA) travel to La Crosse, Wis. this weekend for a four-game North Star series against Viterbo University (8-9/3-1 NSAA). The Bruins and V-Hawks will play double-headers on both Friday (Apr. 2) and Saturday (Apr. 3) with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. and noon, respectively.
