MARTIN, Tenn. -- Belmont Baseball (22-7, 9-2) fell to UT Martin, 9-8, Saturday afternoon to snap the Bruins nine-game win streak.
A solo shot from Judah Akers (Cookeville, Tenn.) started things for the Bruins in the second inning. With the bases loaded, Jamie Ritchie (Burford, Ga.) scored a run followed by an infield single from Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) to give the Bruins a 3-0 advantage.
UT Martin responded in the bottom half of the inning by loading the bases, but Dan Ludwig (Naperville, Ill.) pitched out of the jam.
Akers led off the third inning with another solo shot for his seventh homer of the season.
Ritchie drew a leadoff walk in the fourth and advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Drew Ferguson (Knoxville, Tenn.). A double from Breen through the left side scored the first run of the inning before Josh Davis (Fayetteville, Ga.) singled to center scored Breen, putting the Bruins on top 6-0. Davis crossed the plate for the Bruins seventh run of the game.
The Skyhawks responded in the bottom half by getting three runs on the board, behind a two-run homer from designated hitter Matt Young.
Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) led off the fifth with a double down the right field line followed by an infield single from Scott Moses (Englewood, Tenn.). Ritchie laid down the safety squeeze to extend the Bruins leads 8-3.
Behind five runs in the bottom of the seventh, UT Martin tied the ball game 8-8.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Skyhawks laid down a safety squeeze to plate the winning run, taking game two, 9-8.
Ludwig finished the day going 6.1 innings and striking out five.
Akers went 3-for-4 at the plate. Akers and Ritchie each had two runs batted in.
The Bruins will finish the series with UT Martin tomorrow afternoon at 1:00p.m.
