May 28, 2007

LEWISTON, Idaho - Scott Raterman and Josh Northrup had two RBIs each and four Bruin batters had two or more hits, as Bellevue (Neb.) used a five-run fourth coupled with a two-run eighth to down Lindenwood (Mo.) 9-7 Monday at the 2007 Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.

Shawn Lee was 3-for-4 for Bellevue (47-13) with a run scored, while Zach Weidenaar and Blake Busson each went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the two-run win. Lindenwood (47-19) was led at the plate by Ryan Shockley and Mike Parson, who each had three hits in the game. Shockley had three RBIs, while Parson drove in two.

Nick Love (13-3), who started the Bruins' opener on Friday, got the win in relief, and David Fields (3-2) took the loss for Lindenwood.

The Lions grabbed a quick 1-0 lead, scoring in the first when Shockley drew a lead-off walk on a full count, followed two batters later when Parson singled to right for the game's first run.

Bellevue shot back in the home half of the first, as Carlos Jackson opened with a lead-off double, scoring three batters later on an RBI single from Northrup to knot the score at 1-1.

A walk would follow to put runners at first and second with two outs, but Hullinger got Nick Rivera to fan, ending the inning with the score tied.

A Tim Hall two-out double set the Lindenwood table for the second-straight frame, and Shockley jumped on the first pitch he saw in his two-out at bat, driving the ball to right center to trade places with Hall and return the lead to Lindenwood, 2-1.

Lindenwood extended its lead to three runs in the third, starting with a single and a double that put Parson at third and Chris Bielski at second with nobody out. Travis McConnell flew to right for the inning's first out, scoring Parson, and Bielski came home later on a two-out RBI single by Hill.

The three-run lead didn't hold for long, however, as Bellevue scored five in the bottom of the fourth, starting the rally with a one-out double by Lee and an RBI single from Busson, followed by a Weidenaar single that brought Busson across for Bellevue's second run of the inning.

Bellevue snagged the lead when Scott Raterman swatted a one-out double, scoring Jackson and Weidenaar to give the Bruins a 5-4 advantage. Bellevue capped the inning when Northrup laced a single, plating Raterman to go up 6-4.

The Lions managed to get a run back with two out in the sixth when Chris Getz came home on a Parson RBI single, but Bellevue stood by its one-run lead until after the seventh-inning stretch, when Rivera blasted a one-out solo home run to make it 7-5. The Bruins threatened to stretch the advantage further, but with two out and runners at the corners, Jackson went down swinging to Lindenwood reliever Brett Kribs to end the inning.

The inning-ending strikeout proved crucial for the Lions, who tied the game in the eighth when Shockley nailed a two-run shot to center. Lindenwood had a chance to take the lead in the eighth, but a popped up bunt and a 4-3 inning-ending double play wiped out the Lion rally and sent Bellevue to the plate with a chance to take a lead.

Casey Smith led off the Bellevue eighth by taking the second pitch of the at bat over the right field wall, hooking the ball around the foul pole to regain an 8-7 advantage. The next two batters reached and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice, followed by the second Bruin run of the inning that came when Raterman got dirty to score on a squeeze bunt by Jerry Zachary.

Bellevue preserved the 9-7 win in the top of the ninth, putting Lindenwood down in order to remain unbeaten in the 2007 Series. Lindenwood continues World Series play at 3 p.m. Tuesday, taking on the loser of the Spring Arbor (Mich.)/Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) contest, while Bellevue (Neb.) plays the winner of tonight's game at 7 p.m. Tuesday.