Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont baseball team (8-10, 3-3) put up a season-best 20 hits, defeating Purdue (11-5, 0-0) by a score of 13-6 on Wednesday afternoon in Nashville. Sophomore Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) led the Bruins with three runs batted in on a double to right field in the second inning.
It was the first time the Bruins recorded 20 or more hits since March 5 of 2010 when Belmont tallied 22 against Eastern Michigan. BU received at least one hit from every offensive starter, including three a piece by seniors Nate Woods (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Derek Hamblen (Plano, Texas). Each of the Belmont captains also drove in one run and scored two runs on the day.
After going down one, two, three in the first inning, the Bruins put up 11 runs in the next three innings to build an 11-4 lead that they did not relinquish. It was Breen that started the scoring as he drove in freshman Greg Brody (Dacula, Ga.), senior Vinny Casha (Nashville, Tenn.), and senior Tim Egerton (Smyrna, Tenn.) on his double to right field in the second to tie the game at 3-3.
Belmont then put up four runs in both the third and fourth innings on 11 total hits. Breen, Brody, Casha, Egerton, junior Zac Mitchell (Cordova, Tenn.), and sophomore Drew Turner (Shelbyville, Tenn.) each added two hits for the Bruins in the victory. Turner, who entered the game as the designated hitter in the sixth inning, recorded a single and a double in only two at bats.
"I was very excited by the way that our offense continued to play well today," Head Coach David Jarvis said. "I feel like [our] kids are starting to hit up to their capabilities now. They're starting to put together more consistent at bats. It is always a good thing to see both Greg Brody and Jared Breen have two-hit days. That's important to have the back end of the lineup be able to turn it over like that for us."
"I was reasonably pleased with our pitching," Jarvis continued. "I think the highlight of the day on that end is that we didn't walk a single batter. That's a big reason why, in spite of the fact that they had 13 hits, they were only able to score six runs."
Between the two teams, the fans were able to see 12 different players on the mound today. Belmont starter Brandon Frensley (Hendersonville, Tenn.) earned the win after giving up two earned runs on six hits, striking out one, and like every other Bruin pitcher today, walking none. From the sixth to the the ninth inning, Belmont allowed no runs and only two hits. Junior Dane Swinehart (Lancaster, Ohio), sophomore Dan Huenecke (Palatine, Ill.), junior Matt Hamann (Northbrook, Ill.) and senior Jon Ivie (Summertown, Tenn) each pitched one inning of scoreless relief for BU.
Belmont finished with 13 runs on 20 hits and two errors, while Purdue tallied six runs on 13 hits and three errors. Frensley improves to 1-0 with the win, while Blake Mascarello falls to 0-1 after allowing seven runs on nine hits in three innings pitched for the Boilermakers.
The Bruins will be back in action this weekend as they host Ball State for a three game series of non-conference action at Shelby Park. Friday's 4:00 p.m. contest will kick off the series.
