OMAHA, Neb. -- Riley Baasch broke a tie atop the BU career home run list with the 41st home run of his career and the Bellevue University baseball team swept a North Star Athletic Association double-header from Dakota State University on Tuesday afternoon. The Bruins won the opener 17-7 in run-rule fashion before holding on for an exciting 3-2 victory in the nightcap from John Stella Field at Brown Park.
Bellevue, winners of seven-straight, improves to 26-10 overall and 8-2 in NSAA play while Dakota State slips below .500 overall at 12-13 and fall to 5-5 in conference play.
Game One: BU 17, DSU 7 (7 Innings)
The BU offense picked up where it left off over the weekend, accumulating 20 hits and scoring 17 runs as they recovered from early 4-0 and 7-4 deficits to pick up a run-rule victory.
Riley Baasch drove in six runs, including a 3-run inside-the-park home run. The 41st home run of his Bruin career broke a tie with former teammate JT Patterson for first in the Bellevue record book.
Chaz Lopez was 3-for-4 at the dish with a home run and five RBI, Josh Vaughan was 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, and Conner Barnett hit his first collegiate home run in a 3-for-4 effort that saw him score four runs and drive in three.
After allowing two-run home runs in back-to-back innings, Bellevue trailed 4-0 in the bottom of the third before scoring four two-out runs to tie things up.
Dakota State responded with a three-spot in the fourth but a run-scoring single from Cody Banks and an RBI-double by Baasch pulled the Bruins within a run.
Bellevue erupted for seven runs in the fifth, highlighted by homers from Baasch and Lopez to pull away.
Alexandro Celiceo (5-0) pitched four solid innings of relief to earn the victory. He struck out five while allowing three runs on six hits and a pair of walks.
Dakota State starter Grant Svikulis allowed four runs in 2.2 innings of work, though none were earned, before handing the ball to Kevin Krumm (1-1) who was tagged with the loss after surrendering nine runs on 11 hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Game Two: BU 3, DSU 2
Offense was at a premium in the second game of Tuesday's double-header as BU and Dakota State combined for just 13 hits.
The Trojans struck first, scoring in the opening frame. After a leadoff walk to Ryan McDaniel, Jackson O'Neal doubled to right-center to plate the game's first run.
Bellevue worked the bases loaded with two outs in the second when Brenton Davis drove in a run after being hit by a pitch. Conner Barnett followed up by singling up the middle to chase home a second run for a 2-1 BU lead.
With two outs and runners on second and third, Cody Banks pushed the Bellevue lead to 3-1 with an infield single in the fourth.
Dakota State got a run back in the sixth as McDaniel greeted reliever Elijah Johnson with a base hit to right field to drive home Chris Burke with two outs. Johnson the caught O'Neal looking at strike three to end the threat with runners on the corners.
BU threated in the bottom of the sixth. Davis delivered a one-out triple but was stranded after Barnett was retired on a comebacker and Banks grounded out to second.
In the seventh, Dakota State put runners on first and second with just one out. Mason Macaluso reached on a wild pitch after striking out ahead of a Chris Kropuenske walk to prompt Bellevue to make a call to the bullpen. BU ace Corey Jackson emerged out the 'pen to strike out the game's final two batters to notch his first save and secure the Bruin victory.
Up Next:
The Bruins travel to Valley City, N.D. this weekend for a four-game series with Valley City State University (13-18/6-4 NSAA). The Bruins and Vikings will play double-headers on both Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (noon).
