OMAHA, Neb. -- The fifth-ranked Bellevue University baseball team scored four runs in the first three innings and held on for a 4-3 non-conference victory over Briar Cliff University Sunday afternoon at John Stella Field, completing the three-game series sweep over the Chargers.
The win moved the Bruins to 7-2 on the season. BCU fell to 4-3 overall.
A sacrifice fly to right field by Conner Barnett, and a ground-out RBI by Logan Grant gave the Bruins an early 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first.
The Bruins increased the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second on an RBI single to center field by CJ Townsend that scored Mathieu Sirois from second.
A bases-loaded fielder's choice RBI by Sirois gave BU a 4-0 margin in the bottom of the third frame.
The Chargers sliced the lead to 4-3 in the top of the fourth on a three-run homer to center field by Quentin Evers.
Neither team scored again as BU stranded eight baserunners, while the Chargers stranded five.
Andrew Celiceo improved to 3-0 on the season, recording the win after allowing three runs on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work. Jered Eifler collected his first save of the season, allowing just one hit with no walks and one strikeout in the final 1 1/3 innings of the contest.
Matthew Hmielewski (1-1) was tagged with the loss, giving up four runs on nine hits with one walk and the K's in five innings on the mound.
The Bruins return to action on March 4 when they travel to Davenport, Fla. to take on St. Thomas (Fla.) at 3:30 p.m.
