GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – There is no place like home is commonly used to describe the comforts of being in a comfortable place. The Davenport baseball team had been scuffling heading into the NAIA Opening Round, but for the second straight day put together a complete game for a 7-4 win over No. 2 Bellevue. The Bruins (48-10) are the top seed in the bracket of five teams while the Panthers (43-15) are the three seed and will play for a championship and a chance to reach the NAIA World Series on Thursday at 3 p.m. Davenport will await the winner of Bellevue and York who play at noon on Thursday.

The Bruins sent their ace to the hill in Ben McKendall. He entered the game with an 11-1 record and a 1.53 ERA in 100 innings with 111 strikeouts. He ranked sixth nationally in wins, ninth in ERA and 12th in total strikeouts. The Panthers countered with Brandon White, who has been the team's top starters over the past few weeks. White entered with a 5-1 record and a 1.98 ERA in 54.2 innings with 60 strikeouts.

Bellevue opened the scoring in the top of the first as Joe Moran worked a long at-bat and eventually doubled down the left field line to score Trevor Jones. Jones singled to start the game and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ross Feeley.

Davenport answered back with a run in the bottom of the second. Brandon Larkin-Guilfoyle walked with one out and made his way to third on a failed pickoff throw to first by McKendall. Brandon Cable then hit a RBI grounder to short as Larkin-Guilfoyle scored to tie the game.

Both starters settled in allowing few base runners until Davenport got to McKendall in the fifth. Cable powered a double down the right field line to lead off the inning. Brent Showers walked with one out and Austin Petravicius was the courtesy runner at first. Jeremy Vasquez then had the key at-bat of the game for DU. He fought out several quality pitches before finally getting a pitch he could drive for a two-run triple to left center and a 3-1 lead. Connor Seymour hit a chopper to third on the next at-bat as Vasquez scored and the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. Zac Wilson singled into right through the right side and Seymour raced to third. Travis Bolin then lifted a high sacrifice fly to left to score Seymour for a 5-1 lead.

Davenport came back in the sixth with another run as Larkin-Guilfoyle singled and Petravicius ran for him at first. Petravicius moved to second on a passed ball. Cable singled to center sharply and Petravicius held at third. Brian Sobieski then delivered a single to center for an RBI and ended the day for McKendall. He finished with five-plus innings and allowed eight hits and four earned runs. The four earned runs tied the most he had given up in any start this season.

Anthony Contonio weathered the storm by getting a strikeout and inducing a double play to end the inning with the Panthers ahead 6-1. Bellevue responded with three runs in the top of the seventh. The Bruins had four singles in the first five at-bats as Jake Browne had a RBI knock and Matt Evans loaded the bases with a single through the right side. White was replaced by Corey Sessions and Gabriel De La Rosa came in to pinch hit in the nine-spot of the lineup. De La Rosa hit the first offering from Sessions to left center for two RBI and the lead was trimmed to 6-4. Sessions then got a fielder's choice bounce out and a strikeout to keep the lead at two runs.

The Panthers added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Matt Priebe singled to start the inning and Austin Brandt was used to run. Kevin Rodriguez came out of the bullpen for Bellevue and with one out tossed a wild pitch moving Brandt into scoring position. Cable walked and Brandt took third on another wild pitch that was ball four. Sobieski had a great at-bat to battle off tough pitches and singled home Brandt through the left side for a 7-4 advantage.

Sessions got the win on Tuesday and picked up the save on Wednesday, his first of the season, by retiring the Bruins in order in the ninth. He struck out the first batter and got a pair of groundouts. In his 2.2 innings with allowed just one hit with a walk and two strikeouts. Priebe, Sobieski and Cable each had two hits for DU.