OMAHA, Neb. -- A three-run eighth in the opener and a fast start in the series finale saw the No. 5-ranked Bellevue University baseball team sweep Mayville State University in double-header on Saturday afternoon and secure a 3-1 North Star Athletic Association series win.
The Bruins improved their overall record to 38-7 while upping their conference mark to 20-2. Mayville slid to 17-21 on the season and 11-12 in league play.
Between games of the double-header, Bellevue honored their seven seniors – Conner Barnett, Alexandro Celiceo, Kanta Kobayashi, Cade Sakamoto, Nate Smith, Nathan Sprenger, and Drew Staley – for their contributions to the program in their time on campus.
Game One: BU 6, MSU 3
After three and a half scoreless innings to open the first game of the day, Anthony Lind put Bellevue in front with a two-run single.
An inning later, Jake Lacey reached on a fielder's choice that scored a run for a 3-0 Bruin lead in support of starter Easton Brinton.
Brinton, however, was unable to hold the lead, departing with runners on second and third following a two-run double from Kole Jessamine.
Cade Sakamoto came on in relief to get the final two outs of the inning with Jared McCorrister scoring on a ground out by Ricky Marquez.
Sakamoto (3-0) worked 3.2 inning of hitless relief, working around three walks and punching out three to allow the Bruin offense time to regain the lead.
Bellevue got to Alexander DeCaro (1-1) in the eighth, scoring three runs. Lind singled home Takumi Maeno and CJ Townsend singled home both Lind and pinch-runner Houston Fogelstrom for a 6-3 lead.
Game Two: BU 9, MSU 1
Dustin Schorie (6-0) continued his lights out work on the mound in the series finale. In a complete game victory, the right-hander struck out eight while yielding just a run on four hits in seven innings of work.
Mathieu Sirois put Bellevue on top in the second, singling home Nick Grade.
An inning later Conner Barnett doubled the BU lead with a solo home run. Drew Staley delivered a bases clearing double to make it 5-0 before scoring on CJ Townsend's RBI-single for a six-run Bruin lead.
Adam Senden got a run back with a fielder's choice to bring home the lone Mayville run of the game.
The score remained 6-1 until a three-run sixth saw Bellevue pull away. An infield single by Anthony Lind, a base knock by Staley, and a bases loaded hit by pitch to Kanta Kobayashi accounted for the runs.
Connor Cory (1-1) got the start for Mayville but departed after just three innings having surrendered six runs on six hits. Kole Jessamine came on to pitch the final three innings allowing three runs on seven hits.
Up Next:
Bellevue welcomes Dakota State University to John Stella Field at Brown Park next weekend for a four-game series with the NSAA Regular-Season Championship on the line, as well as the No. 1 seed in the following week's NSAA Tournament.
