DICKINSON, N.D. — Brock Townsend and Teron Williams combined on the Bruins’ second shutout in as many days as the top-seeded Bellevue University baseball team downed No. 3-seed Valley City State University 5-0 on Sunday afternoon in the North Star Athletic Association Tournament.
Bellevue improves to 38-12 overall and will return to the NSAA Championship tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. The Bruins will be making their fifth-straight appearance and face the winner of Monday’s first game.
The loss drops VCSU to 21-32 and into the loser’s bracket. The Vikings will meet the Waldorf-Viterbo winner on tomorrow at 10 a.m. with the winner facing Bellevue in the Championship Round.
Alec Ackerman made a successful return to BU lineup after a three-week absence, going 3-for-3 with a triple and drove in a pair of runs.
Ackerman put BU on the board in an unconventional first inning. An infield hit, a pair of sac bunts and a Viking error had runners on second and third when Ackerman chopped a ball up the middle and beat out the throw with Jake Lacey scoring on the play.
That was enough offense for BU’s Brock Townsend (5-2) who fired eight shutout innings, striking out seven against one walk and scattering six hits.
Nick Grade reached on an error an inning later that allowed Anthony Lind to score as Bellevue doubled their lead.
The score remained 2-0 until the sixth when Lind delivered on a squeeze bunt to score Brendan Luther. Ackerman began the play on second base but coach Duane Monlux sent him home when the throw went to first but he was out at the plate.
Logan Grant reached on a one-out walk in the eighth and courtesy runner Samuel Fortier came racing home on Ackerman’s triple down the right field line.
Bellevue manufactured a ninth inning insurance run. Lind walked and stole second before scoring on Tyler Monroe‘s base hit to center.
Teron Williams worked a scoreless ninth to preserve the victory.
Kahlil Tilbury (3-5) threw well for VCSU but the Vikings were unable to muster any offense. Tilbury allowed three earned runs (four total) on six hits over eight innings, striking out four and walking four.
