Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Behind a masterful pitching performance from senior ace Aaron Quillen (Kingsport, Tenn.), the Belmont University baseball team knocked off the visiting Western Michigan Broncos, 3-1, Friday evening at E.S. Rose Park.
Quillen came out on the better end of a pitcher's duel against WMU ace Keegan Akin. The senior righthander logged eight innings, allowing just one earned and striking out eight. The Bruins (3-1) battled to push across three runs against Akin, the reigning MAC Pitcher of the Week. Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) and Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) each drove in runs and Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) continued his hot start to 2016 with a triple and run scored.
"There's no question about Aaron's stuff, but tonight he had such a tremendous mentality to go with his normal really good stuff. He was such a presence, such a force on that mound for us. He put us in a very confident position," remarked Head Coach Dave Jarvis after the victory. "When we scored that first run in the second inning, we really felt like he had a strong chance to make that hold up, that relaxes everyone a little bit."
Quillen limited Western Michigan to just three hits. One of those hits came in the first and the other two Bronco knocks came in the eighth, the only frame in which they managed to score against the Bruin hurler. Oddly enough one of the three hits came during the first at bat of the game. WMU's Grant Miller reached on a single to left field. The next batter, Drew Farmer, elected to lay down a sacrifice bunt but Quillen mishandled the attempt and committed an error. Western Michigan continued its small ball approach with an additional sacrifice bunt and it left them with runners on second and third with one out in the opening inning. At this point it looked like Quillen may be in for a long night but the 6'3 right hander responded with one of his eight punchouts on the next batter, clean up hitter Tanner Allison. Quillen needed just one more out to escape the early jam. Thanks to an incredible defensive play by Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) he would get it. The 6'5 shortstop ranged to his left and cut off what looked to be a sure hit up in the middle and threw to first to record the final out to escape the jam.
"I was down in the count a few times but then I was able to get some groundballs and my defense made plays all game. When Walsh is like that, we're a tough team to beat," added Quillen. "Coach always says with good pitching and good defense, you should win a lot of games."
After eluding trouble in the first, Quillen would certainly settle in as he didn't allow an additional hit until the eighth inning. Quillen didn't allow another Bronco to reach base until the fourth when he hit a batter but saw him retired in a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. After the fourth inning, the Bruin ace sat down nine consecutive WMU batters before allowing just his second hit of the ball game in his last inning of work, the eighth.
The Bruins got to Akin early as Washington, the Bruins' leading hitter through four games, ripped a leadoff triple into the right center gap. Washington was able to work himself into a 2-1 count where he saw a fastball from Akin and capitalized with his first three base hit of the year. The Bruin centerfielder came around to score on a wild pitch to give BU an early 1-0 advantage.
Just like Quillen, Akin himself settled down as he stymied the Bruin offense for the following four innings.
"Our kids did a really good job against Akin tonight," added Jarvis. "We didn't have a whole lot to show for it but our approach and our mentality was very good against a kid who is very special arm in my opinion. I thought he was outstanding, we beat a tremendous pitcher."
Akin was cruising, and had retired the first two Bruins in the seventh before Belmont broke through for its second run. Walsh knocked a single through the left side, and commenced to swipe second base. Clay Payne (Lowell, Tenn.) followed with a base hit through the same gap Walsh found to record the second Belmont score.
"He's a good pitcher. We read about him going into the game and I knew that it was going to be one of those games where I had to keep them under 1-2 runs. Credit Akin he's a really good pitcher," added Quillen.
Quillen trotted back out for the eighth and was greeted with a pinch hit double off the bat of Evan Nelson. Quillen induced a groundball from the next batter to record an out. Nick Vogelmeir singled to right to drive in the Broncos' lone run on just the third hit and final hit allowed by Quillen.
"My slider has been my pitch since the spring started. Last week I didn't throw it all that well but this week I tried to be more smooth and throw it for strikes. I got ahead a lot, and was able to throw my breaking pitches where I wanted to," said Quillen.
BU added some insurance in the eighth as Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.), pinch running for Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.), was driven in by Holland.
Tyler Vaughn (Jonesboro, Ill.) came on for the ninth inning and pitched around a lead off single to secure his first save of the year and the Bruins' third win.
Belmont returns to action tomorrow afternoon as it continues play in the Mule Mix Classic. Belmont welcomes Miami (Ohio) for a 1 p.m. CT tilt at Rose Park.
