OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The top three hitters in the Bruin lineup combined to go 6-for-13 and score all three runs but it was not enough as #20 Oklahoma City dealt the #24 Bellevue University baseball team a 5-3 loss on Sunday afternoon at Jim Wade Stadium.
The Stars improve to 6-1 on the season while Bellevue falls to 3-2 after a 1-2 weekend.
Conner Barnett got things started for the Bruins in the first. He singled through the right side and reached third when Alec Ackerman followed suit. Mathieu Sirois beat out a double-play ball to score Barnett with the game's first run.
Cade Stephens and Noah Barks drove in runs in each of the first two innings for the Stars who grabbed a 2-1 lead after two.
After Ackerman doubled home Kanta Kobayashi, Alex Stufft singled in Ackerman to put the Bruins back ahead, 3-2.
That was the end of the offense for the Bruins as Tanner Schoeninger (2-0) settled in allowing just two hits over his final five innings of work.
Cross Factor quickly erased that lead with a no-doubter leading off the home half of the third to tie the game. Peyton Crispin doubled in runs both later in the third and in the fifth to give OCU a 5-3 advantage.
The first run-scoring double from Crispin chased BU starter McGrane Pledger (0-1) after three innings of work in which he allowed four runs on six hits. He struck out a pair and walked two more.
Bellevue got a runner on with two out in the eighth to chase Schoeninger after 7.2 innings in a quality start. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five against one walk.
OCU summoned Jacob Wright out of the bullpen and Wright retired Cade Sakamoto on a fly ball.
Sakamoto pitched very effectively in five innings of two-hit relief. He limited the Stars to just a run while punching out four and issuing a walk.
In the ninth, Zach Diehl and Kobayashi each drew walks to put the tying run on base but Wright struck out Barnett to secure his first save of the year.
Up Next:
The Bruins return to the Sooner State next weekend for three more games. On Friday, BU faces Friends University (2:30 p.m.) and #14 Science & Arts (5 p.m.) from Bill Smith Ballpark in Chickasha, Okla. The Bruins and Drovers, frequent postseason foes in recent years, with then play a single game on Sunday with a noon start.
