OMAHA, Neb. -- Bruin pitching held the Mustangs hitless over the final five innings as the Bellevue University baseball team secured a 5-2 non-conference win over Morningside University in a battle of teams receiving votes in the NAIA GoRout Baseball Coaches' Poll.
Bellevue improves to 19-11 overall by extending their win streak to seven games. Morningside drops to 22-6-1 with back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
Brady Toth (1-1) began a parade of BU pitchers with three shutout innings in which he struck out five and allowed just two hits to earn his first win of the season.
Logan Grant opened the scoring with his 12th home run for Bellevue, a two-run shot off Morningside starter Kade Yasui (1-1) in Yasui's lone inning of work.
The Bruins tacked on a run in the second when Scott Hansen grounded out to chase in Ayden Makarus from third.
Hayden Hixon touched up Kole Bennett with a two-out, two-run home run in the fourth for the final hit and only runs of the game for Morningside.
Brody Burnette worked two scoreless innings before Jace Wessels, Brayden Andersen, and Teron Williams each working a scoreless inning of relief to nail down the victory. Williams earned his second save of the season to close out the game.
Bellevue immediately responded with a majestic solo home run from Makarus, his fourth of the year, to left.
The Bruins threatened to add on with a pair of singles leading off the sixth but were unable to plate an insurance tally.
Jake Lacey led off the eighth with his second double of the game, the 44th of his career to move him into a tie for fifth on BU's all-time list. A sac bunt from Elijah Tanner and successful squeeze from Anthony Lind brought home Lacey for a 5-2 Bruin lead.
Grant, Lacey, and Makarus all finished with multi-hit games in the victory.
Bellevue is scheduled to host Dickinson State University on Saturday, Apr. 5 at 1 p.m. for the first two games of a four-game series.
