Box Score MARTIN, Tenn. – The Belmont baseball team (14-16, 4-8) gave up four runs in the bottom of the ninth falling to UT-Martin (7-21, 2-4) by a score of 9-8 after a two run walk off home run by the Skyhawks.
Belmont got on the board in the top of the first as senior Tim Egerton (Smyrna, Tenn.) took over the team lead in both doubles and runs batted in (10, 23) with a shot down the left field line. Senior Nate Woods (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and sophomore Judah Akers (Cookeville, Tenn.) both scored on the play after reaching base with a pair of walks. The Skyhawks countered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first on a single to left center field by Wes Patterson.
It was another two runs in the second that gave the Bruins the lead back. Senior Vinny Casha (Nashville, Tenn.) led off with a single to right field, before freshman Greg Brody (Dacula, Ga.) bunted for a single to give Belmont two base runners. Junior Zac Mitchell (Cordova, Tenn.) then converted a sacrifice bunt to move the base runners to second and third. This time it was junior Dylain Craig (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) who knocked the Bruin runs in, hitting a single through the right side of the infield. UT-Martin tied it once again, this time at 4-4 on a two run home run by Trey Karlan.
After the Skyhawks took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third at 5-4, Belmont tallied three runs with two outs in the top of the fourth to take a 7-5 lead. Senior Derek Hamblen (Plano, Texas) started the scoring in the inning with his 10th double of the season. Hamblen tied Egerton for the team lead in doubles while driving in Mitchell, who singled earlier in the inning. Woods then homered in Hamblen with his fifth jack of the season on a shot to dead center field.
Neither team put a run up in the fifth or sixth inning. Belmont then added to their lead with one in the seventh as Casha drove in sophomore Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) on a slicing single to left field. Breen became the final Bruin starter to record a hit in the game with a double off the right field wall earlier in the inning.
The Skyhawks recorded consecutive singles, before a double drove in two runners to bring UT-Martin within one run at 8-7. Belmont closer Jon Ivie (Summertown, Tenn.) then recorded his second blown save of the season when UTM's Cory Stooksbury hit a two run walk off homer to win the game for the Skyhawks.
UT-Martin finished with nine runs on 11 hits and no errors, while Belmont totaled eight runs on 14 hits and two errors. Ivie was credited with the loss, as he fell to 2-1 on the season. UTM's Alec Mills improved to 3-3 on the year after allowing no runs on no hits, while striking out three in the top of the ninth.
As mentioned earlier, every Belmont offensive player recorded a hit in the victory. Both Casha and Craig tallied three hits in the contest, while Egerton recorded two for the Bruins.
The Bruins will next stay on the road, traveling to USC Upstate to take on the Spartans in a three game Atlantic Sun Conference series on April 8th and 9th.
