FOREST CITY, Iowa -- After a 3-2 setback in Sunday's opener, the No. 13-ranked Bellevue University baseball team posted a season-high in runs, downing Waldorf University 33-2 to secure the North Star Athletic Association series victory.
The Bruins now stand at 23-10 on the year and 11-1 in NSAA play while Waldorf is now 12-16 overall and 2-6 in conference play.
Game One: Waldorf 3, BU 2
Waldorf saw their first three batters of the game reach with Rylee Rauch scoring on a fielder's choice from Tyler Wytulka before BU starter Gavin Wuschke struck out a pair to escape further damage.
The Bruins managed just one hit through the first four innings and Waldorf added on in the third. Kolby Amaral singled home Rauch before Wytulka delivered a base knock to center. With Amaral advancing to third, an error in center allowed him to come home with the third Warrior run of the game.
Bellevue cut the deficit to one on Jake Lacey's two-run single in the fifth with two outs. CJ Townsend extended his hitting streak to 19 with one out and two batters later Anthony Lind delivered a knock of his own. A wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position before Lacey went through the hole on the right side to put BU on the board.
The Bruins had a chance in the seventh as back-to-back two-out singles by Lacey and Logan Grant brought Alec Ackerman to the dish. However, Reno Morehouse got Ackerman to chop out to second to end the game.
Wuschke (4-1) took the loss, despite turning in another solid performance. He struck out five over 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits but three runs as well.
Zach Meyer (4-0) fired six quality innings, limiting Bellevue to two runs on five hits while striking out nine against three walks. Morehouse struck out a pair in his lone inning of work to record his second save.
Game Two: BU 33, Waldorf 2
Alec Ackerman and Logan Grant hit bookend home runs during a nine-run first inning as Bellevue vaulted out to a huge lead and never looked back in a series-clinching victory.
The Bruins tacked on 10 more in the second, highlighted by a two-run home run from Brendan Luther, to push their lead to 19-0.
A fourth inning single by Nick Gravel saw the Bruins hit the 20-mark for the first time this season. The Bruins would go on to score three more, including a three-run jack by Elijah Bear, in the frame for a 24-0 lead after three and a half.
The Warriors scored a pair of runs in the fifth to avoid the shutout.
CJ Townsend saw his hitting streak reach 20 games in the sixth with a bases clearing triple to push Bellevue's lead to 32-2.
Dustin Schorie (4-1) did not allow an earned run over five innings of four-hit ball, striking out eight against a pair of walks. Jayden Vinson (2) and Teron Williams (3) combined to strike out five in producing a pair of scoreless relief innings.
Ryuaya Kato (0-1) took the loss, allowing nine first inning runs on six hits, a pair of walks, and a hit batter.
The 33 runs scored by Bellevue are their most since putting up 40 in a win over Concordia back on Apr. 20, 2009. It sets single game records for runs scored in a conference game, runs scored on the road, and runs scored under Duane Monlux.
Up Next:
Bellevue is scheduled to host Peru State College on Friday, Apr. 5 at 2 p.m. from John Stella Field to begin a three-game, home-away-home, series.
