NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont Baseball (10-4) defeated Southeast Missouri, 11-6, Saturday afternoon at Rose Park for the program's first Ohio Valley Conference win.
SEMO loaded the bases in the first inning but Austin Coley (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and the Bruin defense was able to get out of the jam and hold the Redhawks scoreless in the first.
Drew Ferguson (Knoxville, Tenn.) drew leadoff walk before
Judah Akers (Cookeville, Tenn.) doubled to right center scoring Ferguson and putting BU on the scoreboard.
Josh Davis (Fayetteville, Ga.) singled to right to score Akers. Davis proceeded to steal second before a single from
Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) advanced Davis to third.
The designated hitter put the Bruins up 3-0 after Matt Beaty (Dresden, Tenn.) reached on a fielder's choice and Breen was out on the play.
In the second inning, a double from Ferguson capped another three-run inning. Akers singled to right bringing home Ferguson. Davis doubled and Breen hit a single up the middle to put the Bruins on top, 6-0.
SEMO responded in the third with three runs. Belmont extended their lead to 7-3 after Davis hit his second double of the game to score Akers. The Redhawks closed the gap, 7-5, as they scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth.
Dan Ludwig (Naperville, Ill.) came on to relieve Coley in the sixth. Coley finished the day with five innings of work. The right hander gave up six hits, five runs and struck out five. Ludwig recorded 1.2 innings of relief, giving up one hit and walked two.
Jessie Snodgrass (Lebanon, Tenn.) came to the mound in relief in the seventh with two outs and runners on first and second and struck out SEMO's Branden Boggetto swinging to end the inning and maintain BU's 7-5 lead.
Davis came on in relief in the eighth, making his seventh appearance on the mound this season.
Jamie Ritchie (Burford, Ga.) hit a double down the left field line, forcing the Redhawks to go back to their bullpen. Jason Blum, who started at second and moved to left field, took the mound to face Ferguson, issuing the centerfielder a walk. SEMO's Blum proceeded to hit Drew Turner (Shelbyville, Tenn.) to load the bases with one out.
The Redhawks returned to the bullpen to bring on Alex Siddle. Akers was hit by a pitch, moving all runners and scoring Ritchie. A wild pitch scored Ferguson and gave the Bruins a four-run lead, 9-5, before Breen doubled down the left field line to plate two more. Breen's four hits on the day, matched his career high.
SEMO plated one in the ninth, but it wasn't enough as the Bruins closed the game, 11-6.
Davis earned his third save of the season after two innings of work. He gave up three hits, one run and struck out two.
With the series even at one game a piece, the Bruins will return to the field tomorrow afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
