LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Three Bruin pitchers combined for 35 strikeouts in 16 innings of work as the Bellevue University baseball team opened their four-game series at Viterbo University with a pair of victories. Bellevue won the opener 9-4 before taking a 3-0 victory in the nightcap at Viterbo's Outdoor Athletic Complex.
Bellevue improves to 22-10 overall and 4-2 in the North Star while the V-Hawks fall to 8-11 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
Game One: BU 9, Viterbo 4
McGrane Pledger (2-2) and Alexandro Celiceo (S, 1) combined for 17 strikeouts to back a nine-run, 12-hit game by the BU offense.
Pledger, making his fourth start of the season, struck out a season-high 13 batters in six innings of quality work. He limited the V-Hawks to a pair of runs on three hits and four walks as he notched his third double figure strikeout performance in his last four outings.
Conner Barnett singled home Josh Vaughan in the second after Vaughan led off the inning with his first of two doubles on the afternoon.
The Bruin lead was short-lived as Braxton Ghelfi answered with a two-run double in the home half of the inning but Pledger settled in from there as he allowed just one more hit over the final 4.1 innings of his start.
Cody Banks restored the Bellevue lead with his second home run of the year, a two-run shot to center in the fifth where the Bruins would score three times to take a 4-2 lead.
Celiceo came on to pitch the final three innings and struck out four without allowing an earned run to record his first save.
Bellevue added two runs in the eight with a run scoring on a passed ball and Barnett driving in another with a single to center field.
Josh Vaughan plated two more in the ninth with his second double of the ballgame before coming in to score on a base hit to left by Zach Diehl to make it 9-2 in favor of the Bruins.
Viterbo added a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth on an error and a wild pitch before Adam Helgeson struck out with a pair of runners in scoring position to end the ball game.
Game Two: BU 3, Viterbo 0
Payton Higgins supplied all the offense the Bruins would need with a solo home run, his second of the year, in the top of the first in support of Corey Jackson (5-2) who was nearly untouchable on the hill for Bellevue. The senior right-hander struck out 18, walked two, and scattered just four hits in the game.
After working out of a one-out, bases loaded jam in the first Jackson cruised the rest of the way, allowing just three more base runners.
The score remained 1-0 until Alec Lee plated Daniel Teasley with a sixth inning squeeze. Teasley led off the frame with a double and advanced to third on a sac bunt from Rigo Duarte.
Conner Barnett added an insurance run in the seventh. He singled with one out before stealing both second and third and scored on a passed ball strikeout.
The 18 strikeouts from Jackson are the second most all-time by a BU pitcher (Kyle Kinman, 22 vs. College of the Ozarks, Mar. 15, 2014) and the most in a seven-inning game as well as the most in a shutout.
Riley Baasch and Cody Banks also had base knocks in the game for Bellevue as the Bruins totaled a 5-4 edge in the hits column. Baasch's first inning double was the 54th of his career to move him into a tie for first with Kevin Bratetic (1998-01).
Jake Kleszczynski (1-1) threw well for the V-Hawks as he held Bellevue to three runs (two earned) on five hits and struck out seven without issuing a walk in a complete game effort.
Up Next:
Bellevue and Viterbo continue their series tomorrow with another twin bill beginning at noon from the VU Outdoor Athletic Complex.
