May 2, 2026

DICKINSON, N.D. - NAIA's No. 2 and tournament's No. 1 seed Bellevue (Neb.) overwhelmed No. 4 seed Dakota State (S.D.) 24-6 in seven innings on Saturday afternoon in a Frontier Conference baseball postseason elimination game, riding a relentless power surge at Dakota Community Bank and Trust Ballpark.

Bellevue (46-4 overall record) scored in six of seven innings, finished with 22 hits and launched eight home runs to stay alive in the 2026 Frontier Conference Baseball Championship.

The Bruins set the tone early when Oak Held homered to center in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead. Dakota State answered in the bottom half when Cameron DeMaria singled home George Hogan to tie the game, but Bellevue quickly pulled away.

The Bruins scored five runs in the second inning, with Xavier Lerma going deep and Anthony Lind adding a two-run homer, then broke the game open with an eight-run third. Lerma, Jaylan Ruffin and Held all homered in that third-inning outburst as Bellevue stretched the lead to 14-3.

Bellevue kept adding on from there. Dakota State scored twice in the fourth to trim the deficit to 14-5, and later added a run in the fifth, but the Bruins responded with five runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted by Carter Claerhout's home run.

Bellevue added three more in the sixth, including an RBI double by Dylan Holmes, and tacked on two runs in the seventh to close the scoring. The inning-by-inning line reflected the pressure Bellevue applied throughout, with scoring bursts of five runs in the second, eight in the third and five more in the fifth.

Lerma delivered the biggest individual line of the day, going 4-for-6 with five runs, six RBIs and three home runs. Held added two home runs and four RBIs, while Ayden Makarus went 4-for-6 with four runs and two doubles. Holmes collected three hits and two RBIs, and Ruffin drove in four runs with a home run. Bellevue's lineup produced three doubles, drew seven walks and struck out only four times.

Dakota State finished with six runs on eight hits and three home runs, showing some resistance even as Bellevue's lead grew. The Trojans scored once in the first, two runs in the third, two more in the fourth and another in the fifth. DeMaria's RBI single provided the early answer, but Dakota State could not slow Bellevue's offense. Starter Kellan Johns took the loss as Dakota State's staff worked through seven innings and allowed 24 runs on 22 hits.

Bellevue's pitchers gave up six earned runs on eight hits over seven innings, while the Bruins backed them with enough offense to remove any suspense by the middle innings.

Dakota State ended their season at 21-30-1 overall record.