DICKINSON, N.D. — Steven Elsner homered twice to lead a 17-hit attack as the top-seeded Bellevue University baseball team downed Waldorf University 16-7 in the North Star Athletic Association Championship Game on Monday afternoon.
Bellevue improves to 39-12 as the Bruins earn their third-straight NSAA Tournament Championship and sixth in eight years since joining the NSAA. The Bruins will learn their postseason opponent and bracket on Thursday, May 9 when the NAIA hosts their selection show at 4 p.m.
Waldorf, who earlier in the day defeated Valley City, wraps up their season at 23-28 overall.
Zach Meyer staked Waldorf to an early 1-0 lead with an RBI-single in the first. Nathan Westfield chased in two more later in the frame for an ideal Warrior start but BU starter Brady Toth settled in from there, facing the minimum through the next 2.1 innings.
Jace Wessels (3-0) came on in the fourth and worked five strong innings of relief to get the win.
Waldorf starter Gavin Williams kept Bellevue off the board for the first three innings before encountering trouble in the fourth. Steven Elsner put BU on the board with a two-run home run down the right field line. Tyler Monroe tripled home the tying run and later scored on Nick Grade‘s ground ball to put the Bruins in front.
Kolby Amaral briefly restored the Waldorf lead with a two-run shot in the fifth.
Bellevue answered in a big way in the fifth, scoring six times highlighted by a three-run home run from Monroe, his third of the year, to break a 5-5 tie.
Kade Hobbs (0-2) took the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) in just 1.1 innings for the Warriors.
Lind doubled home a run in the sixth and Takumi Maeno scored another insurance tally in the seventh on the fourth of six Waldorf errors.
The Bruins tacked on four more in the eighth with Elsner leaving the park for a second time, tying him for the team lead with 19 home runs.
Peter Ordonio claimed a two-run homer as a consolation prize in the ninth before Parker McMan finished off the victory for BU.
