JACKSON, Tenn. – Belmont Baseball (37-19) fell to Southeast Missouri State, 9-6, Wednesday night at The Ballpark at Jackson in the opening round of the OVC Tournament.
In the top of the first, Southeast Missouri State got on the board first. Matt Tellor reached on a fielder's choice and a BU error scored Jason Blum who drew a leadoff walk. SEMO had a three-run second inning to take a 4-0 lead over the Bruins.
In the bottom half, Josh Davis (Fayetteville, Ga.) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, but he was left stranded.
SEMO plated one more in the third to take a 5-0 lead. A leadoff walk to Scott Moses (Englewood, Tenn.) drew a leadoff walk before Drew Ferguson (Knoxville, Tenn.) doubled to right field with no outs. An RBI single from Matt Beaty (Dresden, Tenn.) scored both of the runners and cut the Redhawks lead.
A home run by Blum extended SEMO's lead, 6-2 in the fourth. Belmont answered in the bottom half with four runs sparked by a leadoff double to left field by Spencer Petett (Tompkinsville, Ky.). A sacrifice fly from Moses scored Petett followed by a triple from Ferguson. Behind a double from Jared Breen (Marietta, Ga.) and a single from Judah Akers (Cookeville, Tenn.), Belmont tied the game at 6-6.
Jessie Snodgrass (Lebanon, Tenn.) came on to pitch for the Bruins in the fourth to get the final two outs of the inning. In his 43rd appearance, the senior right hander registered a career long outing of 4.2 innings and eight strikeouts. Snodgrass gave up just four hits, did not allow a run and only walked one.
Belmont threatened in the eighth with the bases loaded, but the runners were left stranded. Behind a three-run inning in the ninth, SEMO took a 9-6 lead. Diamond led off the ninth with a double down the left field line and a walk to Ferguson put runners on the corners, but the Bruins were unable to score.
Belmont will play Jacksonville State tomorrow at 11:00a.m.
