The Bruins gave up a pair of five-run innings as the 10th-ranked Bellevue University baseball team fell in the championship game of the Warner Invitational to the host school, No. 25 Warner University, 12-2, on Saturday afternoon at Royals Field.
With the loss, the Bruins dropped to 13-7 on the season. Warner improved to 26-6 overall.
After BU took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first after scoring on a Royal fielding error, WU erupted for five runs in the bottom half of the first. The Royals scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Trey Woosley, a bases-loaded walk to Josh Strickland, a two-run single to center by Daniel Coca, and on an RBI single to left field by Jan Martinez.
The Bruins sliced the lead to 5-2 in the top of the third on an RBI single to center field by Josh Vaughan.
Once again, the Royals responded in the bottom of the third, scoring five more runs on an RBI infield single by Brandon Crosby, a three-run homer to right field by Tyler Brown, and on a run-scoring single to right field by Casey Mawhinney, to extend the lead to 10-2.
The Royals added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer to center field by Devin Bartley to complete the game's scoring.
McGrane Pledger (1-3) suffered the loss, giving up five runs on three hits with three walks and no strikeouts in the first 1/3 inning of the contest.
Luke Myers (3-0) was credited with the win, scattering four hits with one walk and six strikeouts in five innings of work.
The Bruins will travel to York, Neb. on Wednesday, Mar. 16 for a 5 p.m. nine-inning contest at York College.
