BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Three home runs and two triples paced Bellevue University to a 7-1 win over Midland University in the first game of the NAIA Opening Round – Bowling Green Bracket at Bowling Green Ballpark.
 
Kory Longaker and Travis Tanaka guided the Bruins (38-21) with two hits apiece, while the Warriors were led by Nolan Luzzi who went 4-for-5 at the dish.
 
Bellevue got off to the fast start in the first inning with the first three batters reaching base and then JT Patterson delivered a three-run home run over the right field to put the Bruins on top, 3-0. Hayden Bailey settled down on the mound and retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning.
 
Neither team was able to add to the score line through the early portion of the game. Midland had its offense rolling, but its was unable to push across a run in the first five innings as the Warriors left seven runners on base through five innings.
 
Gary Dixon got the offense rolling once again with an RBI triple off the wall in the left-center field gap to score Patterson all the way from first base, to put Bellevue ahead, 4-0, after five innings. The key extra base hits continued for the Bruins with a home run from Austin Alexander to make it 5-0 in favor of Bellevue.
 
After the leadoff home run in the sixth inning, Tanka tripled off the wall in right field and then Diego Iribarren hit a sacrifice fly to plate another run and the third home run of the day for the Bruins came from Longaker to give the Bruins a 7-0 advantage.
 
Midland got on the board in the eighth inning with a two-out RBI single from Bailey Bliss, but the Bruins maintained its lead to win, 7-1.
 
Reid Feely (8-2) earned the win going 7-2/3 innings allowing 10 hits and just one run. Bailey (3-3) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on five hits in five innings of work.
 
Bellevue stays in the winner's bracket with the win after the victory and now plays top-seeded University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma today at approximately 4 p.m. CT.
 
Midland drops into an elimination game later tonight against the loser of Campbellsville University and Reinhardt University at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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