BELLEVUE, Neb. -- McGrane Pledger logged his second-straight complete game shutout as the top-seeded and No. 6-ranked Bellevue University baseball team defeated fifth-seeded Judson University 4-0 in their first game of the 2022 NAIA National Tournament Opening Round.
Bellevue has now won seven-straight to improve to 46-10 overall. The Bruins have not allowed a run in their 34.1 innings pitched. BU faces Tabor tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to Wednesday's Championship Round.
Judson, who had defeated fourth-seeded Concordia 5-1 earlier in the day, falls to 22-29 overall. The Eagles play in an elimination game at 6 p.m. tomorrow evening against the winner of the game between Central Methodist and Concordia.
In yet another pitching duel, reminiscent of the NSAA Championship Game just six days ago, McGrane Pledger out-dueled Michael Betancourt.
Neither pitcher yielded anything until the fourth when Mathieu Sirois laced a two-out single to left to score courtesy runner CJ Townsend with the first run of the game.
The run was enough for Pledger, who has not allowed a run while scattering five hits over his last 18 innings of postseason work, but Conner Barnett provided some insurance an inning later with a two-run shot to right-center field.
Leading 3-0 in the eighth, Sirois again delivered for Bellevue. With runners on the corners courtesy of a walk, a balk, and an error Sirois lifted a fly ball to center to chase home Josh Vaughan for a 4-0 advantage.
Pledger (10-3) came back out to work a 1-2-3 ninth and wrap up another tremendous pitching performance. He threw just 101 pitching and allowed just four baserunners (two hits, a hit batter, and an error) while striking out eight in a complete game effort.
Betancourt (4-3) threw well for his part. In 5.2 innings of work, he allowed three runs on six hits and kept Judson close.
Benjamin Nelson and Connor Weigman recorded base hits for the Eagles. Nelson broke up Pledger's no-hit bid with a double in the sixth.
Kanta Kobayashi recorded a pair of base hits for the Bruins to bring his season total to 102. Barnett, Alec Ackerman, Brenton Davis, Alex Stufft, and Sirois recorded one hit each for BU.
The game was the fifth-straight complete game effort by a Bruin pitcher. All of those games have come in the postseason.
