March 9, 2010
Box
Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Middle
Tennessee State defeated Belmont, 10-1, with nine late-inning runs
in a quick-paced game between regional rivals on Tuesday afternoon
at Shelby Park.
First pitch was at 2:32 after
pushing the start time back an hour, followed by a 30 minute rain
delay at Shelby Park. After the delay, the skies cleared long
enough to provide nine innings of baseball in ideal
conditions.
Sophomore Garrett Fanchier
started on the mound for the Bruins, lasting three innings with
three strikeouts and one earned run on a staff day for Belmont.
Fanchier forced two double plays in the first two innings to
retired the Blue Raiders in order.
In a pitching duo early on,
the Bruins got on the board in the fourth as senior Packy Elkins took a
10-pitch full count and doubled down the left field line for
Belmont's first hit of the game. After Hamblen reached on bunted
single, runners were at the corners. MTSU starter Eric Gilley then
balked to advance the runners and allow the first and only run of
the game for MTSU.
The `Raiders answered in the
sixth with the go-ahead run off of an RBI single from Justin Guidry
for a 2-1 lead. In the seventh, MTSU used back-to-back two-out
homeruns from Bryce Brentz and Blake McDade to take a 5-1 lead. The
Blue Raiders provided more cushion in the eighth with three runs on
three hits.
Sophomore Dane Swinehart
(1-2) allowed two walks, including the go-ahead run, in the sixth
to receive the loss.
Junior Nate Woods extended
his season-long hitting streak to 12 games with a single to left
field in the fourth inning, while Dylan Craig went
2-for-3 for his seventh multi-hit game of the season.
Middle Tennessee was led by
first baseman McDade who went 3-for-4, scoring two runs and driving
in one. Justin Miller had three RBI for the third time this season.
Right-handed pitcher Gilley (2-0) started and pitched seven innings
with just one walk for MTSU to receive the win.
The Blue Raiders (8-3) have
won the last seven meetings with Belmont and improve a series
advantage to 32-7.
Belmont (10-2) begins
conference play at Jacksonville this weekend in a rematch of the
2009 A-Sun Tournament semifinals when Jacksonville eliminated the
Bruins, 5-7, on its way to a tournament title and NCAA Regional
berth. The series begins at 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday - the first
night game of the season for the Bruins.
"Conference season is like a
second chapter in the book. We are 0-0 in conference play, so we go
right back to work," Head Coach David Jarvis said.
"If we were 2-10 or 10-2, it wouldn't make a difference; our main
focus is on conference play. We are ready to go, I feel good about
where we are at."
