March 24, 2010
Box
Score
Belmont 7 (13-9)
Middle Tennessee 13 (14-6)
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - In
another high-scoring affair, Belmont baseball lost to Middle
Tennessee 13-7 on Wednesday night at Reese Smith Jr.
Field.
For the eighth time in nine
games a total of 15 or more runs were scored between teams as the
Bruins gave up 13 runs on 14 hits to fall to 13-9 this season.
Belmont's offensive effort was paced by two-hit performances from
sophomore Dylan
Craig and junior Nate Woods. Woods
drove in two runs, including his eighth homerun of the season, as
Craig extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
Middle Tennessee scored runs
early and often on its way to an 11-4 lead after the third inning.
Blue Raider leadoff man Tyler Burnett went 4-for-5 and Justin
Miller and 2009 consensus All-American Bryce Brentz hit two of
MTSU's four homeruns in the fifth inning.
Belmont used seven relief
pitchers as freshman Josh Davis (1-1)
received his first career start, finishing after two innings and
allowing two earned runs in the loss. Last week's Atlantic Sun
Pitcher of the Week Matt Hamann had four
strikeouts in two innings and Jon Ivie pitched a 1-2-3
eighth as the pair closed the game with three scoreless
innings.
Kevin Whittaker (2-2) earned
the win for Middle after 2 1/3 innings, four strikeouts, three
walks and two runs allowed.
Belmont took an early 1-0 lead
the first inning as senior Packy Elkins led off
with a homerun to centerfield. It marked the second time this
season that Elkins has led off a game with a homerun. The Raleigh,
N.C., native finished 1-for-3 and drew two walks.
After Middle scored three runs
in the first and second innings, the Bruins reclaimed the lead in
the third inning with three runs on three hits. Craig and Woods
each began the inning with a single, laying the ground for a
two-run double from Matt Zeblo down the
left field line. Zeblo later scored from third base on a passed
ball.
The Blue Raiders then scored
eight runs on seven hits in the bottom half of the third, including
a three-run homerun from Will Skinner to take a decisive 11-4
lead.
Senior captain Mark Noth drove in a
run for the third straight game in the fifth inning with a double
down the left field line to score Tim Egerton. But
Middle Tennessee again responded in the bottom half of the inning
with two homeruns from Brentz and Miller.
Woods drove in the last two
runs of the game on a towering homerun to left field in the sixth
and used a sacrifice fly to right field to score Derek Hamblen from
third.
Belmont will resume conference
play at Shelby Park this weekend, facing USC Upstate in a three
game series beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's doubleheader
with the Spartans begins at 1 p.m.
