LEWISTON, Idaho -- Brenton Davis and Andrew Ishii each hit two-run homers but the Bellevue University baseball team dropped their first game of the 2022 Avista NAIA World Series to LSU Shreveport by a score of 8-4.
With the loss Bellevue falls to 48-12 and slips into the loser's bracket. The Bruins play MidAmerica Nazarene on at noon (2 p.m. Central) Sunday in an elimination game.
LSU Shreveport ups their record to 52-6 on the season to remain in the winner's bracket. The Pilots face the winner of Southeastern-Georgia Gwinnet on Monday at 3 p.m. (5 p.m. central).
Recap: LSUS 8, BU 4
Bellevue jumped out to an early lead but was unable to weather the elements as LSU Shreveport defeated the Bruins 8-4 in a weather-impacted World Series opener.
Elijah Johnson's third strikeout of the game, against Zyon Avery in the bottom of the second, was his 150th of the season, making him just the second player in program history to reach that milestone.
Conner Barnett delivered the game's first hit moments before a weather delay. Lightning and rain halted play in the top of the fourth and resumed after a four hour, 58 minute rain delay.
Following the delay, both teams were forced to lift their (presumed) All-America starters. Johnson fired three hitless innings, striking out four and issuing a trio of walks for Bellevue. Bobby Vath's allowed just a run on one hit over three-plus innings of work; he struck out one and walked another.
After resuming, Barnett took second on a wild pitch before Brenton Davis delivered a two-run homer to center, just left of the batter's eye, to put the Bruins on the board.
Allbry Major put the Pilots ahead in the home half of the fifth with a towering three-run home run over the scoreboard in right.
Austin McNicholas singled with the bases loaded, off reliever Bailey Link, an inning later to push the Pilots' lead to 5-2.
The score remained 5-2 until the bottom of the 8th when McNicholas delivered a one-out, down the left field line to score a run. Ryan Major runner was thrown out at the plate on the play but Allbry Major hit his second long ball of the game one batter later to make it 8-2 in favor of LSU Shreveport.
In the ninth, Andrew Ishii launched a two-run shot to left for his 12th home run of the year to cut the deficit to 8-4.
Kevin Miranda (13-1) worked four innings of one-run, three-hit relief to earn the win for LSU Shreveport. He struck out a game-high six. Bellevue tagged Chase Guitreau for a pair of runs allowing a walk and a hit but he managed to pick up his fourth save.
McGrane Pledger (10-4) suffered the loss for the Bruins.
