Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Drake Byrd's (Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) RBI single scored Jamie Ritchie (Buford, Ga.) in the tenth to give Belmont a 4-3 victory and hand Mercer their first loss of the season Friday night.
Mercer's Michael Massi hit a three-run homer to left field in the first to put the Bears ahead 3-0.
Belmont led off the fourth with singles from Nick Egli (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Byrd before William Dodd (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) drew a walk to load the bases. Behind a pair of sacrifice flies from Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) and Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.), the Bruins pushed two across to make it a 3-2 game.
Dodd led off the ninth with a triple down the right field line and Veltri's second sacrifice fly of the game scored Dodd, tying the game at 3-3 and sending it to extra innings.
In the tenth, Ritchie doubled to right before Byrd's two-out single drove him in, giving the Bruins the win.
Austin Coley (Murfressboro, Tenn.) had a solid outing with a season-long seven innings of work. The right-hander matched his career-high of 13 strikeouts. He gave up four hits, three runs and walked five.
Chase Cunningham (Bluff City, Tenn.) came on to relieve Coley, and went three innings, giving up two hits and matching a career-best three strikeouts.
Belmont will continue the series with Mercer tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00pm.
