OMAHA, Neb. -- Steven Elsner and Logan Grant each homered twice on Saturday as the Bellevue University baseball team split a double-header with intra-state foe Peru State College to secure a 3-1 series victory.
After being swept in yesterday's twin-bill, Peru State won Saturday's opener 6-2 before the Bruins posted a 12-8 win the series finale.
Bellevue moves to 13-11 on the year while the Bobcats now stand at 10-18.
Game One: PSC 6, BU 2
Peru State's Blake Denson shut down the Bellevue bats, keeping the Bruins off the board for five innings as his team built a 4-0 lead behind him.
Jomar Perez opened the scoring with a solo home run off Bruin starter Gavin Wuschke in the second.
Wuschke (3-2) kept BU close as the game remained 1-0 into the sixth.
Jackson Lynch doubled the Bobcat lead to 2-0. Bellevue looked to escape further harm when Logan Grant appeared to throw out Lynch at second but Lynch was ruled safe and the inning continued. Gustavo Rivera took advantage, creating additional separation, with a two-run homer to give Peru State a 4-0 advantage.
That looked to be plenty of offense in support of Denson who allowed just three hits over the first five innings. BU finally broke through in the sixth as Steven Elsner and Logan Grant halved the lead with back-to-back jacks.
Peru State responded with two more runs via pinch-hitter Jalen Mercader's home run in the seventh to re-establish their four-run advantage.
Denson (3-2) scattered five hits and struck out seven in the complete game victory.
Game Two: BU 12, PSC 8
Bellevue and Peru State combined for six home runs as BU out-lasted the Bobcats to win a 12-8 slugfest.
Antonio Benitez took Bruin right-hander Brady Toth deep on the first pitch of the game to stake Peru State to a 1-0 lead.
Scott Hansen led off home half of the first with an infield single before Steven Elsner, Logan Grant, and Jake Lacey hit three-consecutive home runs as the Bruins quickly erased the early deficit to go in front 4-1.
Josh Schaller quickly got a run back with a solo shot of his own leading off the second but again Bellevue responded.
A two-run single from Grant, a wild pitch, an RBI-double from Anthony Lind, and a bases loaded walk to Elijah Tanner saw Bellevue run their advantage to 9-2.
Bobcat starter Garrett Paveltich (1-2) lasted just 1.2. He was charged with allowing nine runs (eight earned) on seven hits. Peru State used eight additional pitched to get through the remainder of the game.
Schaller doubled home two more Bobcat runs in the third and Rivera blasted a grand slam to chase Toth from the game with two outs in the fourth.
Bruin relief pitching averted further damage, combining to throw 5.1 shutout innings in relief of Toth.
Brody Burnette (1-0) came out of the bullpen and worked 1.2 scoreless innings to earn his first victory in relief. He struck out two against two walks and yielded a pair of hits.
Jace Wessels worked the final 3.2 striking out four and allowing three hits to earn his second save of the season.
Bellevue tacked on a run in the fifth on a ground ball from Lacey to chase Elsner home from third.
Balas Buckmaster drew a bases loaded walk in the eighth and a fielder's choice from Elijah Tanner provided another insurance run.
Elsner became the first Bruin to reach the 10-home run mark this season while Grant became the third member of BU's 40-career home run club.
Up Next:
Bellevue welcomes another former MCAC foe to town on Tuesday, Mar. 25 when York University makes their way to John Stella Field at Brown Park for a 3 p.m. non-conference tilt.
