PERU, Neb. -- Antonio Benitez ripped a single into left center in the bottom of the 10th to give Peru State College a 7-6 win over the No. 13 Bellevue University baseball team in Saturday's series finale.
Bellevue drops to 25-11 while the Bobcats improve to 12-24 by avoiding the sweep.
The Bruins opened the scoring as Nick Grade scored on a dropped fly ball in the third.
Peru State answered with a Wesley Bradford RBI-single in the fourth and going ahead on Antonio Benitez's two-run home run in the fifth.
Elijah Bear doubled home a run and Tyler Monroe singled in Bear to allow BU to tie the game in the sixth.
That deadlock was short-lived as Xavier Solla singled in a run in the home half and scored on an error later in the frame.
Jake Lacey cut the lead in half with a solo home run before the Bruins then scored a pair of runs on wild pitches in the seventh and eighth to take a one-run lead.
Reynolds doubled to right to score Solla but he was thrown out a third trying to stretch it into a triple.
After Bellevue left a pair of runners on base in the top of the ninth, Peru State loaded the bases with a leadoff double and a pair of intentional walks sandwiched around a throwing error. Parker McMan wriggled out of trouble, striking out Blake Denson before getting a Web Gem from Alec Ackerman. Randy Jimenez flared a soft line drive to the edge of the infield grass where Ackerman made a diving catch and won a footrace back to the bag to double off Angel Andrades and for extras.
The Bobcats loaded the bases with one out in the 10th against BU closer Cade Herrmann before Benitez came through with a clean single to left to walk-off the Bruins.
Diego Oquendo (5-4) earned the win with four solid relief innings as neither starter factored in the decision. Herrmann (0-2) took the loss for Bellevue.
Casey Ogden struck out 10 over six innings for the Bobcats, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. Gavin Wuschke went five innings allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out four.
Anthony Lind, Monroe, and Grade all had 2-for-5 days at the plate for Bellevue.
Bradford finished 4-for-5 and Benitez turned in a 3-for-6 performance for the host side.
Bellevue travels to Fremont, Neb. on Tuesday, Apr. 9 for a 5 p.m. non-conference match-up with Midland University.
