CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - - Belmont (1-10) earned a split in the second day of play at the UTC Frost Classic, picking up the first win of the season against Tennessee Tech before falling to Dayton. The Bruins defeated the Golden Eagles, 6-5, and lost to the Flyers, 3-11 in five innings.
In game one, the Bruins were led by senior Ashley Byers who recorded three hits and was one of four Bruins to have multiple hits in the game. Freshmen Amanda Criscione and Heather Turner and senior Amanda Buntin each had two hits. Belmont scored three runs in the third and fourth inning and then held off Tennessee Tech's charge in the fifth and sixth innings to secure the win. Junior Becca Gift was credited with the win, but the victory was a staff effort. Gift pitched 3.0 innings before sophomore Mia Vierra came on in relief, pitching 2.1 innings. Freshman Katie Clancy, who made her debut for the Bruins on Friday, earned the save with 1.2 innings of relief work. Belmont recorded a season high 12 hits, which helped offset three team errors. Seven different players had at least one hit in the game and five different players scored a run. The win was the first against Tennessee Tech since 1999.
Belmont faced Dayton in the second game on Saturday and struggled to produce the same amount of offense against the Flyers. The Bruins managed only three runs on four hits and again committed three errors. Senior Hannah Irwin, one of the most consistent players for Belmont, recorded one hit and two RBIs in game two to lead the Bruins. Byers, Buntin, sophomore Kim Johnson, and junior Courtney Elrod provided the remaining offense for the Bruins. Belmont held a 3-2 lead through two innings before Dayton tied the game in the bottom of the third. A big fourth inning, in which the Flyers scored five runs, followed by a three-run fifth inning put the game out of reach for the Bruins.
The team will wrap up play in the Frost Classic with a 10 a.m. game against Valparaiso on Sunday. Live stats, full recaps, and all schedule information will be available at www.belmontbruins.com. Fans can also follow the team on Twitter by searching @BelmontSoftball.
