Box Score BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – It took 10 innings and over three and a half hours, but the Belmont baseball team (13-13, 3-6) defeated Western Kentucky (16-9, 5-1) by a score of 9-8 in Bowling Green, Ky. on Wednesday evening.
Belmont struck first in this one, scoring two runs in the second inning. After senior Tim Egerton (Smyrna, Tenn.) and sophomore Judah Akers (Cookeville, Tenn.) reached base on a single and a hit by pitch, respectively, sophomore Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) moved the aforementioned Bruins to third and second with a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Greg Brody (Dacula, Ga.) then recorded his fifth double of the season scoring both Egerton and Akers to give BU the early lead.
After giving up two runs to the Hilltoppers in the bottom of the second, BU took the lead once again with one run in the top of the fourth. It was the bottom of the Bruin order that got it done again, as Breen led off the inning with a long single to left field. Brody then walked before junior Zac Mitchell (Cordova, Tenn.) singled up the middle to load the bases. Junior Dylan Craig (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) then drove in Breen as he reached on a fielder's choice to make it 3-2 in favor of Belmont.
Western Kentucky matched Belmont's one run in the fourth inning, but then took the lead at 5-3 with two more in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Ryan Hutchison drove in two Hilltoppers with a double to right center field off of freshman James Buckelew (Suwanee, Ga.), who relieved BU starter Garrett Fanchier (Lebanon, Tenn.) after three.
Belmont countered with two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5 when a sacrifice fly by senior Nate Woods (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) scored Mitchell from third base to end the scoring in the inning. Mitchell had reached base earlier in the inning on a line drive to right field that was mishandled by the WKU outfielder. The first run by BU in the sixth came when Craig drove in Brody with an infield single to the Hilltopper third baseman.
The Bruins took the lead in the eighth inning without recording a single hit. Seniors Derek Hamblen (Plano, Texas) and Matt Zeblo (Raleigh, N.C.) walked before a fly out by Woods advanced Hamblen to third. Hamblen then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by the Western Kentucky pitcher. Belmont added one run of insurance in the ninth when Brody scored on a ground out by Mitchell, after the second baseman tripled to left center earlier in the inning.
The insurance run was needed as WKU tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth with a two run home run. The blown save by senior Jon Ivie (Summertown, Tenn.) was his first of the season.
It was Breen with his second hit of the night that put BU ahead for the final time in the top of the 10th inning. His single to left field drove in two Belmont players to give the Bruins a 9-7 lead. Woods and Egerton scored on the single after reaching base on a single and error, respectively. Akers advanced both runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt.
Ivie returned to the mound in the bottom of the 10th, and recorded the win after only allowing one run in the final frame. Belmont finished the game with nine runs on 10 hits and one error to earn the road victory. Western Kentucky totaled eight runs on eight hits and two errors. Ivie improved to 2-0 on the season with the win, while Hageman fell to 4-3 with the loss for WKU.
The Bruins will next host Jacksonville in a three game Atlantic Sun Conference series this weekend. On Friday, April 1 the two teams will open the season with a 4:00 p.m. tilt at Shelby Park in Nashville.
